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.
Morrisey
Edward E
EE
Department of Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. emorrise@mail.med.upenn.edu
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