Pleiotropic Effects of MicroRNA in Health and Disease

Abstract

MiRNAs are small, 19-25 nucleotides long strands of RNA that are non-coding and control the effects of messenger RNA. With more than 30.000 miRNAs, their roles are extensive. Since their discovery, it has been demonstrated that they are key elements in many important cellular functions, such as homeostasis, metabolism, development, and senescence. Due to rapid scientific progress, the role of miRNAs and the impact of their dysregulation on major human pathologies are being progressively recognized. Increasing evidence suggests their importance in medicine as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy responsiveness, as well as potential therapeutic targets, making them potentially useful tools for clinical practice. This paper aims to review some of the most important and newest miRNAs interrelation with cardiovascular, neurological, renal, autoimmune, hepatic, infectious diseases, and cancer.