title: The roles of miRNAs as potential biomarkers in lung diseases.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs which can act as master regulators of gene expression, modulate almost all biological process and are essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of miRNA expression has been associated with aberrant gene expression and may lead to pathological conditions. Evidence suggests that miRNA expression profiles are altered between health and disease and as such may be considered as biomarkers of disease. Evidence is increasing that miRNAs are particularly important in lung homeostasis and development and have been demonstrated to be the involved in many pulmonary diseases such as asthma, COPD, sarcoidosis, lung cancer and other smoking related diseases. Better understanding of the function of miRNA and the mechanisms underlying their action in the lung, would help to improve current diagnosis and therapeutics strategies in pulmonary diseases. Recently, some miRNA-based drugs have been introduced as possible therapeutic agents. In this review we aim to summarize the recent findings regarding the role of miRNAs in the airways and lung and emphasise their potential therapeutic roles in pulmonary diseases.
authors.affiliation: Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Institute of Medical Biotechnology, Molecular Medicine Department, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shamila D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Alipoor
authors.affiliation: Cell and Molecular Biology Group, Airways Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Dovehouse Street, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Adcock
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Nutricia Research Centre for Specialized Nutrition, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garssen
authors.affiliation: Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cell and Molecular Biology Group, Airways Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Dovehouse Street, London, UK; Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research and Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: E.Mortaz@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Esmaeil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mortaz
authors.affiliation: Mycobacteriology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varahram
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirsaeidi
authors.affiliation: Mycobacteriology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Aliakbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Velayati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Asthma; COPD; Lung cancer; Lung disease; MicroRNA; Sarcoidosis