title: MicroRNAs in obesity-associated disorders.
abstract: The emergence of a worldwide obesity epidemic has dramatically increased the prevalence of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, predisposing individuals to a greater risk for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type II diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Current available pharmacological interventions combined with diet and exercise-based managements are still poorly effective for weight management, likely in part due to an incomplete understanding of regulatory mechanisms and pathways contributing to the systemic metabolic abnormalities under disturbed energy homeostasis. MicroRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that regulate posttranscriptional gene expression, have been increasingly described to influence shifts in metabolic pathways under various obesity-related disease settings. Here we review recent discoveries of the mechanistic role that microRNAs play in regulating metabolic functions in liver and adipose tissues involved in obesity associated disorders, and briefly discusses the potential candidates that are being pursued as viable therapeutic targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York 10021, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Eugenio J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Abente
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York 10021, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Murugan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York 10021, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Vimal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York 10021, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar. Electronic address: han2005@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: S Hani
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Najafi-Shoushtari
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis; D000818:Animals; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Insulin resistance; Lipid/fat metabolism; Metabolic syndrome; MicroRNAs; Obesity; RNA therapeutics