Implications of microRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis and Prospects for Therapy

Title:Implications of microRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis and Prospects for Therapy

Volume: 22 Issue: 15

Author(s): Armita M. Gorabi, Mohsen Ghanbari, Thozhukat Sathyapalan, Tannaz Jamialahmadi and Amirhossein Sahebkar*

Affiliation:

• Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad,Iran

Keywords: MicroRNA, Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Clinical application, Immune cells, endothelial cell (EC).

Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs containing around 22 nucleotides, which are expressed in vertebrates and plants. They act as posttranscriptional gene expression regulators, fine-tuning various biological processes in different cell types. There is emerging evidence on their role in different stages of atherosclerosis. In addition to regulating the inflammatory cells involved in atherosclerosis, miRNAs play fundamental roles in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, such as endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction, the aberrant function of the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) and cholesterol metabolism. Moreover, miRNAs participate in several pathogenic pathways of atherosclerotic plaque development, including their effects on immune cell signaling receptors and lipid uptake. In this study, we review our current knowledge of the regulatory role of miRNAs in various pathogenic pathways underlying atherosclerosis development and also outline potential clinical applications of miRNAs in atherosclerosis.

Cite this article as:

Gorabi M. Armita , Ghanbari Mohsen , Sathyapalan Thozhukat , Jamialahmadi Tannaz and Sahebkar Amirhossein *, Implications of microRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis and Prospects for Therapy, Current Drug Targets 2021; 22 (15) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389450122666210120143450