The magic and mystery of miR-21.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potent regulators of mRNA stability and thereby protein expression. As such, miRNAs have become of interest as possible therapeutics and/or therapeutic targets. In this context, small complementary miRNA sequences known as antagomirs could be used to inhibit miRNA activity, while miRNA mimics could confer gain-of-function activity. However, a note of caution is sounded by Patrick et al. in this issue of the JCI, as they show that although recent reports have suggested that an miR-21 antagomir might be therapeutically useful in preventing heart failure in mice, genetic deletion of miR-21 does not confer a similar phenotype, suggesting possible confounding factors that are only now beginning to be revealed in the techniques used to study miRNA biology.
Department of Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. emorrise@mail.med.upenn.edu
Edward E
EE
Morrisey
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D020871:RNA Stability
D035683:MicroRNAs