miRNA: A Prospective Tool for Gene Regulation

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNA molecules with an average of ~22 nucleotides in length, found in plants, animals and some viruses. In mammals, miRNA modulates gene expression either by translational repression or mRNA degradation. This is an essential regulatory mechanism to modulate fundamental cellular functions such as differentiation, proliferation, death, metabolism, and pathophysiology of many diseases. In this review, we explore the involvement of several elements in miRNAs pathways as well as the current understanding of both canonical and noncanonical miRNA biogenesis pathways in mammals. We also highlight the available computational tools and algorithms for miRNA target prediction. Finally, we emphasis the various miRNA therapeutic strategies.