title: New and emerging roles of small RNAs in neurodegeneration, muscle, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.
abstract: Small noncoding RNAs (snRNAs) were discovered more than two decades ago, yet it was not until relatively recently that their important role in genome regulation was recognised. With such a substantial role in genome regulation, it is not surprising that snRNAs are crucial contributors to an ever-increasing number of diseases, as evidenced by the long list of published studies. Currently, microRNAs (miRNAs) represent the most intensively studied snRNAs. Dysregulation of miRNAs has been confirmed in numerous diseases, and changes in their levels could play an essential role in disease onset and progression and could be used for prognosis and potential therapy. Indeed, disease-altered miRNAs may either signify a direct trigger or a consequence of the disease. Therefore, miRNAs represent unique targets for disease intervention through their down- or up-regulation. Importantly, miRNAs may facilitate disease monitoring by detection of disease-altered miRNAs in easily accessible bodily fluids, such as blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Therefore, study of these events is of utmost importance for understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive disease, as well as for diagnosis and therapy. Here we attempted to synthesise a large number of studies to highlight the crucial role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative, muscle, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hruska-Plochan
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kyburz
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krützfeld
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Landmesser
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguzzi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Magdalini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polymenidou
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs