title: The liver-specific microRNA miR-122: biology and therapeutic potential.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate the expression of a large fraction of genes in animals, plants, and protozoa. miRNA-mediated gene repression occurs posttranscriptionally, generally by base-pairing to the 3'-untranslated regions of target mRNAs, which inhibits protein synthesis and destabilizes the mRNA. In this chapter, we discuss the biological functions of miR-122, a highly abundant, liver-specific miRNA. We will review how studies of miR-122 helped to establish important new paradigms of miRNA-mediated regulation, as well as identifying miR-122 as a factor implicated in important human diseases, including cancer and hepatitis C. We discuss antisense strategies targeting miR-122 as a potential therapeutic approach to treat hepatitis C and possibly other diseases.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel CH-4002, Switzerland. witold.filipowicz@fmi.ch
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Filipowicz
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grosshans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C531907:MIRN122 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs