MicroRNAs in the pathobiology of atherosclerosis

Publication date: Available online 5 January 2017 Source:Canadian Journal of Cardiology Author(s): Benoit Laffont, Katey J. Rayner MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs, expressed in humans and involved in sequence-specific post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. They have emerged as key players in a wide array of biological processes, and changes in their expression and/or function have been associated with plethora of human diseases. Atherosclerosis and its related clinical complications, such as myocardial infarction or stroke, represent the leading cause of death in the western world. Accumulating experimental evidence has revealed a key role for microRNAs in regulating cellular and molecular processes related to atherosclerosis development, ranging from risk factors, to plaque initiation and progression, up to atherosclerotic plaque rupture. In this review, we will focus on how microRNAs can influence atherosclerosis biology, as well as the potential clinical applications of microRNAs which are being developed as both targets and therapeutics for a growing industry hoping to harness the power of RNA-guided gene regulation to fight disease and infection. Teaser Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial and slowly progressing disease responsible for most of the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. MicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs that are predicted to regulate translational repression of ∼60% of the human genome, and thus involved in r...
Source: Canadian Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research