Clinical application of microRNAs in glomerular diseases

Abstract

ABSTRACT RNA interference (RNAi) occurs in all organisms and modulates most, if not all, biological pathways. It is the process by which non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), regulate gene transcription and post-transcriptional processing of messenger RNA (mRNA). A single miRNA can modulate several genes within a cell, and several miRNAs can regulate expression of the same gene, adding tiers of complexity to the regulation of gene expression. miRNAs and other RNAi approaches have been successfully used in vitro and in vivo to selectively manipulate gene transcription, making them pivotal agents for basic science research and candidates for targeted therapeutics. This review focuses on miRNAs and their potential as biomarkers and novel therapeutics for glomerular disease.