Potential role of microRNAs in human diseases and the exploration on design of small molecule agents.
- Author:
Yong ZHANG
1
;
Yan-jie LU
;
Bao-feng YANG
Author Information
1. Department of Pharmacology, Incubator of State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Animals;
Drug Design;
Gene Expression Profiling;
Gene Expression Regulation;
Gene Silencing;
Genetic Therapy;
methods;
Heart Diseases;
genetics;
metabolism;
therapy;
Humans;
Hypertension;
genetics;
metabolism;
therapy;
MicroRNAs;
genetics;
metabolism;
Neoplasms;
genetics;
metabolism;
therapy;
RNA, Messenger;
genetics
- From:
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica
2007;42(11):1115-1121
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous noncoding RNAs, about 22 nucleotides in length, that mediate post-transcriptional gene modulation by annealing to inexactly complementary sequences in the 3'-untranslated regions of target mRNAs. miRNA alterations are involved in the initiation and progression of human diseases. miRNA-expression profiling of human diseases has identified signatures associated with diagnosis, staging, progression, prognosis and response to treatment. Recent evidence has suggested miRNAs as viable therapeutic targets for a wide range of human diseases. Several approaches were performed, the experimental examination of these techniques and the resultant findings not only indicate feasibility of interfering miRNA action in a gene-specific fashion but also may provide a new research tool for studying function of miRNAs. The new approaches also have the potential of becoming alternative gene therapy strategies.
