Sato A, Fujita Y, Otsuka K, et al. - A total of 13 miRNAs were chosen and their differential expression patterns in cancer gland cells and surrounding stromal cells isolated from 24 colorectal cancer (CRC) specimens were reviewed using a crypt isolation method in order to ascertain the variations in miRNA expression between cancer and stromal cells. In the unimpaired cancer tissue samples, the expression patterns of three miRNAs did not match with those in the isolated segments. Moreover, in both the cancer gland and stromal cell components of the tumor microenvironment, recognition of the expression patterns of miRNAs greatly adds to assessing epigenetic regulation in CRC.