Abstract
Inflammation is a complicated biological and pathophysiological cascade of responses to infections and injuries, and inflammatory mechanisms are closely related to many diseases. The magnitude, the complicated network of pro- and anti-inflammatory factors, and the direction of the inflammatory response can impact on the development and progression of various disorders. The currently available treatment strategies often target the symptoms and not the causes of inflammatory disease and may often be ineffective. Since the onset and termination of inflammation are crucial to prevent tissue damage, a range of mechanisms has evolved in nature to regulate the process including negative and positive feedback loops. In this regard, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key gene regulators to control inflammation, and it is speculated that they are fine-tune signaling regulators to allow for proper resolution and prevent uncontrolled progress of inflammatory reactions. In this review, we discuss recent findings related to significant roles of miRNAs in immune regulation, especially the potential utility of these molecules as novel anti-inflammatory agents to treat inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the possibilities of using miRNAs as drugs in the form of miRNA mimics or miRNA antagonists.
Highlights
MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNA molecules usually composed of 18–25 nucleotides that originates inter- or intragenicaly by the action of RNA pol III and II, respectively [1,2,3]
We have experienced a growing interest in how miRNAs may act as modulators of inflammatory pathways and regulate host immune responses
Some miRNAs impact on important negative feedback loops, while others serve to amplify the response of the immune system by depressing inhibitors of the response. miRNAs target signal transduction proteins involved in the initiation of innate immune responses, and the variety of different miRNAs impact on the intensity of the inflammatory response
Summary
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules usually composed of 18–25 nucleotides that originates inter- or intragenicaly by the action of RNA pol III and II, respectively [1,2,3].
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