title: Extracellular RNA in aging.
abstract: Since the discovery of extracellular RNA (exRNA) in circulation and other bodily fluids, there has been considerable effort to catalog and assess whether exRNAs can be used as markers for health and disease. A variety of exRNA species have been identified including messenger RNA and noncoding RNA such as microRNA (miRNA), small nucleolar RNA, transfer RNA, and long noncoding RNA. Age-related changes in exRNA abundance have been observed, and it is likely that some of these transcripts play a role in aging. In this review, we summarize the current state of exRNA profiling in various body fluids and discuss age-related changes in exRNA abundance that have been identified in humans and other model organisms. miRNAs, in particular, are a major focus of current research and we will highlight and discuss the potential role that specific miRNAs might play in age-related phenotypes and disease. We will also review challenges facing this emerging field and various strategies that can be used for the validation and future use of exRNAs as markers of aging and age-related disease. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1385. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1385 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Dluzen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Noren Hooten
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Michele K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002450:Cell Communication; D006801:Humans; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D022661:RNA, Untranslated