title: Therapeutic modulation of miRNA for the treatment of proinflammatory lung diseases.
abstract: miRNAs are short, nonprotein coding RNAs that regulate target gene expression principally by causing translational repression and/or mRNA degradation. miRNAs are involved in most mammalian biological processes and have pivotal roles in controlling the expression of factors involved in basal and stimulus-induced signaling pathways. Considering their central role in the regulation of gene expression, miRNAs represent therapeutic drug targets. Here we describe how miRNAs are involved in the regulation of aspects of innate immunity and inflammation, what happens when this goes awry, such as in the chronic inflammatory lung diseases cystic fibrosis and asthma, and discuss the current state-of-the-art miRNA-targeted therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Research Division, Department of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Education and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: Tidi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McKiernan
authors.forename: Noel G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: McElvaney
authors.forename: Sally Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cryan
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Greene
mesh_terms: D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs