Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
J Mol Neurosci. 2021 Jul;71(7):1338-1355. doi: 10.1007/s12031-021-01825-7. Epub 2021 Mar 27.
Neurodevelopmental disorders are defined as a set of abnormal brain developmental conditions marked by the early childhood onset of cognitive, behavioral, and functional deficits leading to memory and learning problems, emotional instability, and impulsivity. Autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and Down's syndrome are a few known examples of neurodevelopmental disorders. Although they are relatively common in both developed and developing countries, very little is currently known about their underlying molecular mechanisms. Both genetic and environmental factors are known to increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Current diagnostic and screening tests for neurodevelopmental disorders are not reliable; hence, individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders are often diagnosed in the later stages. This negatively affects their prognosis and quality of life, prompting the need for a better diagnostic biomarker. Recent studies on microRNAs and their altered regulation in diseases have shed some light on the possible role they could play in the development of the central nervous system. This review attempts to elucidate our current understanding of the role that microRNAs play in neurodevelopmental disorders with the hope of utilizing them as potential biomarkers in the future.
神经发育障碍被定义为一组异常的大脑发育状况，其特征是儿童早期出现认知、行为和功能缺陷，导致记忆和学习问题、情绪不稳定和冲动。自闭症谱系障碍、注意缺陷/多动障碍、妥瑞氏症、脆性 X 综合征和唐氏综合征是一些已知的神经发育障碍的例子。尽管它们在发达国家和发展中国家都相对常见，但目前对其潜在的分子机制知之甚少。遗传和环境因素都已知会增加神经发育障碍的风险。目前用于神经发育障碍的诊断和筛选测试并不可靠；因此，神经发育障碍患者通常在后期才被诊断出来。这对他们的预后和生活质量产生了负面影响，促使人们需要更好的诊断生物标志物。最近关于 microRNAs 及其在疾病中调节异常的研究，揭示了它们在中枢神经系统发育中可能发挥的作用。本综述试图阐明我们目前对 microRNAs 在神经发育障碍中的作用的理解，希望将来能将它们用作潜在的生物标志物。
