title: Noncoding RNA as regulators of cardiac fibrosis: current insight and the road ahead.
abstract: Cardiac fibrosis is an important pathological feature of cardiac remodeling in heart diseases. The molecular mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis are unknown. Genomic analyses estimated that many noncoding DNA regions generate noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). ncRNAs have emerged as key molecular players in the regulation of gene expression in different biological processes. Recent studies have started to reveal the importance of ncRNAs in heart development and suggest also an involvement in cardiac fibrosis. These molecules are emerging as important regulators of cellular process. Here, we review particularly focuses on the involvement of two large families of ncRNAs, namely microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) in the regulation of cardiac fibrosis. Furthermore, we review the functions and role of ncRNAs in cardiac biology and discuss these reports and the therapeutic potential of ncRNAs for cardiac fibrosis associated with fibroblast activation and proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China.|Cardiovascular Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China. ayskh3@hotmail.com.|Cardiovascular Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China. ayskh3@hotmail.com.|The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Mei Shan Road, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, China. ayskh3@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kai-Hu
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Scientific and Educational, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China. zydengsy@163.com.
authors.forename: Zi-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding
keywords: Cardiac fibrosis; Epigenetic; Long noncoding RNA; MicroRNA