Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Centro Anna Maria Astori, Kilometro Rosso Science and Technology Park, Via Stezzano 87, 24126 Bergamo, Italy.
Nat Rev Nephrol. 2015 Jan;11(1):23-33. doi: 10.1038/nrneph.2014.202. Epub 2014 Nov 11.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression. They have important roles during kidney development, homeostasis and disease. In particular, miRNAs participate in the onset and progression of tubulointerstitial sclerosis and end-stage glomerular lesions that occur in various forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, miRNAs represent potential new therapeutic targets for a debilitating disease that continues to increase in prevalence worldwide and for which fully effective therapies are lacking. Several lines of research aimed at improving common CKD diagnostic tools and avoiding invasive kidney biopsies have also identified circulating miRNAs as possible diagnostic and even prognostic biomarkers of kidney disease. This Review discusses current understanding of the function of miRNAs in CKD, focusing on functions specifically involved in the transforming growth factor β1 pathway, which is activated in CKD. miRNAs that, according to available evidence, seem to be involved in diabetic nephropathy, IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, polycystic kidney disease and graft rejection, are also discussed.
微小 RNA（miRNAs）是一种小型非编码 RNA 分子，可调节基因表达。它们在肾脏发育、稳态和疾病中发挥着重要作用。特别是，miRNAs 参与了各种形式的慢性肾脏病（CKD）中肾小管间质纤维化和终末期肾小球病变的发生和进展。因此，miRNAs 为这种在全球范围内患病率不断增加且尚无完全有效治疗方法的致残性疾病提供了新的潜在治疗靶点。旨在改善常见 CKD 诊断工具和避免侵袭性肾活检的几条研究途径也将循环 miRNAs 鉴定为肾脏疾病的可能诊断甚至预后生物标志物。本综述讨论了 miRNA 在 CKD 中的功能的现有认识，重点讨论了具体涉及转化生长因子 β1 途径的功能，该途径在 CKD 中被激活。还讨论了根据现有证据似乎参与糖尿病肾病、IgA 肾病、狼疮性肾炎、多囊肾病和移植物排斥的 miRNA。
