Bai Xue, Bian Zhigang
Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Front Mol Neurosci. 2022 Jan 31;15:842288. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.842288. eCollection 2022.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, non-coding, single-stranded RNAs with a length of approximately 22 nucleotides that are found in eukaryotes. miRNAs are involved in the regulation of cell differentiation, proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and metabolism by regulating the expression of their target genes. Emerging studies have suggested that various miRNAs play key roles in the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disorders and may be viable therapeutic targets. In particular, miR-21 has prominently emerged as a focus of increasing research on the mechanisms of its involvement in CNS disorders. Herein, we reviewed recent studies on the critical roles of miR-21, including its dysregulated expression and target genes, in the regulation of pathophysiological processes of CNS disorders, with a special focus on apoptosis and inflammation. Collectively, miR-21 is a versatile regulator in the progression of CNS disorders and could be a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for these diseases. An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms by which miR-21 affects the pathogenesis of CNS disorders could pave the way for miR-21 to serve as a therapeutic target for these conditions.
微小RNA（miRNA）是一类长度约为22个核苷酸的内源性、非编码单链RNA，存在于真核生物中。miRNA通过调控其靶基因的表达，参与细胞分化、增殖、侵袭、凋亡及代谢的调节。新兴研究表明，多种miRNA在中枢神经系统（CNS）疾病的发病机制中起关键作用，可能是可行的治疗靶点。特别是，miR-21已成为其参与CNS疾病机制的研究焦点，受到越来越多的关注。在此，我们综述了近期关于miR-21在CNS疾病病理生理过程调节中的关键作用的研究，包括其表达失调和靶基因，特别关注凋亡和炎症。总的来说，miR-21是CNS疾病进展中的一个多功能调节因子，可能是这些疾病有前景的生物标志物和治疗靶点。深入了解miR-21影响CNS疾病发病机制的机制，可为miR-21作为这些疾病的治疗靶点铺平道路。
