The Regulatory Role of MicroRNAs in Obesity and Obesity-Derived Ailments.

Obesity is a condition that is characterized by the presence of excessive adipose tissue in the body. Obesity has become one of the main health concerns worldwide since it can lead to other chronic ailments, such as type 2 diabetes or fatty liver disease, and it could be an aggravating factor in infections. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and can play an important role in controlling crucial biological processes involved in the onset of obesity, such as lipogenesis, adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, or the regulation of cytokines and chemokines. Moreover, chemical compounds present in food or food packaging can alter miRNA expression and regulate the aforementioned biological mechanisms related to diabetes onset and progression. Furthermore, therapies, such as bariatric surgery and aerobic exercise training, can also influence the expression profile of miRNAs in obesity. Therefore, the present review provides insight into the current research on the role of miRNAs in obesity and obesity-derived ailments, intending to develop novel therapies to effectively manage these disorders.

Exploring the Potential Role of Circulating microRNAs as Biomarkers for Predicting Clinical Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is increasingly being used to reduce tumor burden prior to surgical resection. However, current techniques for assessing tumor response have significant limitations. Additionally, drug resistance is commonly observed, raising a need to identify biomarkers that can predict treatment sensitivity and survival outcomes. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and have been shown to play a significant role in cancer progression as tumor inducers or suppressors. The expression of circulating miRNAs has been found to be significantly altered in breast cancer patients. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that circulating miRNAs can serve as non-invasive biomarkers for predicting response to NAT. Therefore, this review provides a brief overview of recent studies that have demonstrated the potential of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for predicting the clinical response to NAT in BC patients. The findings of this review will strengthen future research on developing miRNA-based biomarkers and their translation into medical practice, which could significantly improve the clinical management of BC patients undergoing NAT.

The regulatory role of microRNAs in common eye diseases: A brief review.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, small non-coding RNA molecules (∼21 nucleotides) that regulate numerous biological processes, including developmental timing, hematopoiesis, organogenesis, apoptosis, cell differentiation, and proliferation either by mRNA degradation or translation repression. Since eye physiology requires a perfect orchestration of complex regulatory networks, an altered expression of key regulatory molecules such as miRNAs potentially leads to numerous eye disorders. In recent years, comprehensive progress has been made in demonstrating the precise roles of miRNAs, emphasizing their potential use in diagnostic and therapeutic purposes of chronic human diseases. Thus, this review explicitly illustrates the regulatory roles of miRNAs in four common eye disorders, such as cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and uveitis, and their application in disease management.

Phytochemicals mediated modulation of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in cancer prevention and therapy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are two main categories of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that can influence essential biological functions in various ways, as well as their expression and function are tightly regulated in physiological homeostasis. Additionally, the dysregulation of these ncRNAs seems to be crucial to the pathogenesis of human diseases. The latest findings indicate that ncRNAs execute vital roles in cancer initiation and progression, and the cancer phenotype can be reversed by modulating their expression. Available scientific discoveries suggest that phytochemicals such as polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, and organosulfur compounds can significantly modulate multiple cancer-associated miRNAs and lncRNAs, thereby inhibiting cancer initiation and development. However, despite promising outcomes of experimental research, only a few clinical trials are currently being conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of these compounds. Nevertheless, understanding phytochemical-mediated ncRNA regulation in cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms on tumor pathophysiology can aid in the development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat this deadly disease.

Roles of microRNAs in chronic pediatric diseases and their use as potential biomarkers: A review.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding highly conserved RNA molecules that can act as master regulators of gene expression in a sequence-specific manner either by translation repression or mRNA degradation, influencing a wide range of biologic processes that are essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Chronic pediatric diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide among children and the recent evidence indicates that aberrant miRNA expression significantly contributes to the development of chronic pediatric diseases. This review focuses on the role of miRNAs in five major chronic pediatric diseases including bronchial asthma, congenital heart diseases, cystic fibrosis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and epilepsy, and their potential use as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of these disorders.