The levels of malate appear to be elevated in the normal BEAS-2B cells compared to the cancer cell lines and this may represent the proposed role of increased cytosolic malate dehydrogenase in lung cancer patients [20] and the fact that treatment with either mimic does not cause an increase in malate levels compared to the normal lung cell lines, suggests that this metabolic contributor to cancer development is not affected by the miRNA mimics. This evidence concerns the gene MDH1 and cancer.