Identifying deregulated TF/miRNA negative and double-negative feedback loops in prostate cancer

Transcription factors (TFs) and MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are two important regulators of gene expression in cells. Although a wealth of information is available on how TFs bind their targets and carry out their regulatory roles, this is not true for miRNAs. Recent observations suggest a high level of coordination between transcriptional regulation by TFs and post-transcriptional regulation by miRNAs. Understanding TF/miRNA interactions and their roles in tumor initiation and progression is an important problem that may lead to systemic insights into the molecular biology of cancer and form a basis for the development of new diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches. In this paper, we propose an integrated approach for identifying two types of TF/miRNA feedback loops deregulated in prostate cancer. Our approach can be used to assign context-dependent biological functions to TF/miRNA interactions and provide a better understanding of miRNA deregulation in cancer.