Regulatory RNAs and Cardiovascular Disease – With a Special Focus on Circulating MicroRNAs

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding regulatory RNA molecules which play an important role in intracellular communication and cell signaling and which influence cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and cellular death. Over the past two decades, the crucial role of microRNAs in controlling tissue homeostasis and disease in cardiovascular systems has become widely recognized. By controlling the expression levels of their targets, several miRNAs have been shown to modulate the function of endothelial cells (miR-221/222 and -126), vascular smooth muscle cells (miR-143/145) and macrophages (miR-33, -758, and -26), thereby regulating the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The stability of miRNAs within the blood suggests that circulating miRNAs may function as important biomarkers of disease development and progression. Numerous circulating miRNAs have been found to be dysregulated in a wide variety of different disease states, including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

A synthetic microRNA‐92a inhibitor (MRG‐110) accelerates angiogenesis and wound healing in diabetic and nondiabetic wounds

“…Another approach to improve the healing of chronic wounds and acute wounds alike is to correct the underlying problems contributing to slow healing, thereby restoring tissue homeostasis. MicroRNAs have been shown to be critical regulators of gene pathways and have been implicated in the pathology of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, aging and other age‐related diseases . Therefore, therapeutics that modulate a miRNA's expression or function have the potential to be disease modifying.…”

The fat mass and obesity related gene polymorphism influences the risk of rejection in heart transplant patients

“…Indeed, recently, it has been discussed that epigenetics, namely, DNA methylation (and to some extent, histone acetylation and miRNA), could play a role in different plausible pathways and is hypothesized to be an important predictor of organ rejection. 3 ies. Nevertheless, our study reached the power of 95% to detect the differences in donor FTO genotype and history of rejections for P = 0.05.…”

“…2 Epigenetic mechanisms (primarily DNA methylation and miRNA) have recently been discussed as potential contributors to transplantation outcomes. 3,4 The fat mass and onbesity related gene (FTO) gene (the fat mass and obesity-related gene, OMIM accession No. 610966, gene ID: 79068) has been detected as a gene with the potential to influence complex organism methylation.…”

The potential role of miRNAs in calcification of cardiovascular diseases

“…МикроРНК регулирует транскрипцию приблизительно 60% генов [2], в том числе важных учас тников процессов пролиферации, дифференцировки, клеточного роста, тканевого ремоделирования [3], вовлеченных в развитие сердечно-сосудистых патологий. Изменения профиля экспрессии микроРНК наряду с влиянием на развитие гипертрофии миокарда [4][5][6], сердечной недостаточности [7], аритмии [8], легочной гипертензии [9], инфаркта миокарда [10], дислипидемии [11] и врожденных пороков серд ца [12], может служить маркером сердечно-сосудистых патологий [3][4]13].…”