Micro RNAs: a Revolutionary Discovery in Biology

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, single-stranded, short, noncoding ribonucleic acids (RNAs), which can bind to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to the inhibition of translation or degradation of the mRNA. Only recently have scientists discovered the important role that miRNAs play in gene regulation. To date, more than 700 miRNAs have been identified from the human genome. Malfunctioning miRNAs have been implicated in a number of diseases, due to their regulatory functions in transcription, signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, proliferation, cell growth and metabolism, cell apoptosis, and neurogenesis. Absence of miRNAs or their mutations, detected by genetic analysis, has been associated with a broad spectrum of disease processes, such as various cancers and autoimmune, cardiovascular, infectious, metabolic, neurodegenerative, skin, and psychiatric diseases. The large progress made in understanding miRNAs also points to their great potential as new biomarkers in the diagnosis and early detection of various diseases, as well as their promising role in future therapeutics.