MicroRNAs’ Impact on Heart Diseases
Marco A.S. Cordeiro, Ana Elisa Teófilo Saturi de Carvalho, Regina Célia Spadari
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most prevalent cause of global mortality, highlighting the importance of understanding their molecular bases. Recently, small non-coding RNAs (miRNAS) were shown to affect messenger RNA (mRNA) stability, either by inhibiting translation or by causing degradation through base pairing with mRNAs, being negative regulators of protein translation. Moreover, miRNAs modulate many signaling pathways and cellular processes, including cell-to-cell communication. In the cardiovascular system, miRNAs control functions in cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. Because miRNA expression was detected in the blood of patients with various cardiovascular diseases, they are considered attractive candidates for noninvasive biomarkers. This study reviews the literature on the role played by miRNAs in heart development and diseases. The findings suggest that miRNA regulation may offer new perspectives for therapeutic interventions in heart diseases.