title: Role of miR-21 and its signaling pathways in renal diseases.
abstract: miRNAs are endogenous non-coding RNAs that are ∼22 nucleotides in length and can have structural, enzymatic and regulatory functions. miRNAs play important roles in the progression of renal fibrosis. miR-21, through a feed-forward loop and a downstream mediator of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), amplifies TGF-β signaling and promotes fibrosis. miR-21 is high on the list of non-coding, small, regulatory RNAs that promote renal fibrosis and emerges as a serum biomarker for kidney diseases, but many questions await answers. This review was performed to sum up the role of miR-21 and its signaling pathways in renal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Tian-Biao
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zong-Pei
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta
keywords: miR-21; renal diseases; signaling pathways; transforming growth factor-β