Badal Shawn S, Danesh Farhad R
Section of Nephrology, The University of Texas at MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Unit 1468, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Pediatr Nephrol. 2015 May;30(5):727-40. doi: 10.1007/s00467-014-2867-7. Epub 2014 Jun 14.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs that employ classic Watson-Crick base-pairing to identify their target genes, ultimately resulting in destabilization of their target mRNAs and/or inhibition of their translation. The role of miRNAs in a wide range of human diseases, including those afflicting the kidney, has been intensely investigated. However, there is still a vast dearth of knowledge regarding their specific mode of action and therapeutic effects in various kidney diseases. This review discusses the latest efforts to further our understanding of the basic biology of miRNAs, their impact on various kidney diseases and their potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic agents. We initially provide an overview of miRNA biology and the canonical pathway implicated in their biogenesis. We then discuss commonly employed experimental strategies for miRNA research and highlight some of the newly described state-of-the-art technologies to identify miRNAs and their target genes. Finally, we carefully examine the emerging role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of various kidney diseases.
微小RNA（miRNA）是短链非编码RNA，它们利用经典的沃森-克里克碱基配对来识别其靶基因，最终导致其靶mRNA不稳定和/或抑制其翻译。miRNA在包括肾脏疾病在内的多种人类疾病中的作用已得到深入研究。然而，关于它们在各种肾脏疾病中的具体作用方式和治疗效果，仍然存在大量的知识空白。本综述讨论了为进一步了解miRNA的基础生物学、它们对各种肾脏疾病的影响以及它们作为新型生物标志物和治疗剂的潜力所做的最新努力。我们首先概述了miRNA生物学及其生物合成所涉及的经典途径。然后，我们讨论了miRNA研究中常用的实验策略，并重点介绍了一些新描述的用于鉴定miRNA及其靶基因的先进技术。最后，我们仔细研究了miRNA在各种肾脏疾病发病机制中的新作用。
