Department of Laboratory Medicine and the Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Am J Kidney Dis. 2013 May;61(5):798-808. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2012.09.018. Epub 2012 Dec 5.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNA molecules that function by negatively regulating the expression of their target genes in a tightly controlled manner. Accumulating evidence, based in part on effects seen after miRNA overexpression and/or knockdown, points to the critical involvement of miRNAs in kidney function in health and disease. In this review, we provide a quick overview of the biogenesis of miRNAs and their potential involvement in kidney development and normal function. We also discuss the current literature that has begun to uncover the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of kidney diseases, including diabetic nephropathy, hypertension, glomerulonephritis, and cancer. As such, miRNAs have potential utility in the clinical realm as disease biomarkers. Moreover, miRNAs represent an attractive therapeutic target for a number of kidney diseases. We close by discussing a number of potential challenges that face the field of miRNA research and clinical use.
微小 RNA（miRNA）是一类短的非编码 RNA 分子，通过以严格控制的方式负调控其靶基因的表达来发挥作用。部分基于 miRNA 过表达和/或敲低后观察到的效果的累积证据表明，miRNA 对于健康和疾病状态下的肾脏功能具有关键作用。在这篇综述中，我们简要概述了 miRNA 的生物发生及其在肾脏发育和正常功能中的潜在作用。我们还讨论了目前已经开始揭示 miRNA 在肾脏疾病发病机制中的作用的文献，包括糖尿病肾病、高血压、肾小球肾炎和癌症。因此，miRNA 具有作为疾病生物标志物在临床领域的应用潜力。此外，miRNA 是许多肾脏疾病的有吸引力的治疗靶点。最后，我们讨论了 miRNA 研究和临床应用面临的一些潜在挑战。
