The MicroRNA-21 in Autoimmune Diseases.
MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is an oncomiR and significantly upregulated in a wide range of cancers. It is strongly involved in apoptosis and oncogenesis, since most of its reported targets are tumor suppressors. Recently, miR-21 was found to be correlated with the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and may play an essential role in regulating autoimmune responses. In particular, miR-21 promotes Th17 cell differentiation, which mediates the development of multiple autoimmune diseases. In this article, we review the current research on the mechanisms that regulate miR-21 expression, the potential of miR-21 as a diagnostic biomarker for autoimmune disease and the mechanisms by which miR-21 promotes the development of autoimmune disease. We also discussed the therapeutic potential of targeting miR-21 in treating patients with autoimmune disease.
Shenzhen Laboratory of Fully Human Antibody Engineering, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China. wangsw915918@163.com.
Shaowen
S
Wang
Shenzhen Laboratory of Fully Human Antibody Engineering, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China. xc.wan@siat.ac.cn.
Xiaochun
X
Wan
Shenzhen Laboratory of Fully Human Antibody Engineering, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China. qg.ruan@siat.ac.cn.
Qingguo
Q
Ruan
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D034622:RNA Interference; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
Th17; apoptosis; autoimmune disease; miR-21