MicroRNA News and Research

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In genetics, microRNAs (miRNA) are single-stranded RNA molecules of 21-23 nucleotides in length, which regulate gene expression. miRNAs are encoded by genes from whose DNA they are transcribed but miRNAs are not translated into protein (i.e. they are non-coding RNAs); instead each primary transcript (a pri-miRNA) is processed into a short stem-loop structure called a pre-miRNA and finally into a functional miRNA. Mature miRNA molecules are partially complementary to one or more messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, and their main function is to down-regulate gene expression.

Unraveling the role of TAL1 and miR-146b-5p in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive form of leukemia that arises from the malignant transformation of T-cell progenitors.

23 Jul 2024

Early detection of specific microRNAs may help predict preeclampsia in pregnant women

Preeclampsia (PE) is a significant contributor to the increase in maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide, with particularly alarming numbers in the United States, where it affects about 2–8% of pregnancies, resulting in premature birth with associated morbidities for their infants as well.

16 Jul 2024

Gene editing silences mutant microRNA, restores hearing in adult mice

Researchers have used gene editing to restore hearing in adult mice with a type of inherited hearing loss. They showed that shutting down a damaged copy of a gene called a microRNA (miRNA) enabled the animals to regain hearing. The approach by a research team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported in Science Translational Medicine, may eventually lead to potential treatments for inherited hearing loss in people.

13 Jul 2024

New gene editing technique offers hope for millions

A team led by Mass Eye and Ear researchers has demonstrated for the first time a successful restoration of hearing through a novel, in vivo genome editing approach in an adult mouse model with a form of inherited deafness caused by mutations in microRNA.

11 Jul 2024

MicroRNAs shed light on aggressive youthful type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes in young people ages 10 to19 has more than doubled in the past 20 years, yet it remains difficult for physicians to predict who will be diagnosed and who will improve with treatment. A newly published study from the University of Oklahoma shows that measuring the circulating abundance of microRNAs – which affect insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas – is likely as effective as measuring the level of sugar in the blood for determining how a young person with the condition will fare.

25 Jun 2024

Study identifies a new biomarker for Alzheimer's disease in asymptomatic stages

A recent study led by the Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the University of Barcelona has identified a new biomarker for Alzheimer's disease in asymptomatic stages of the disease.

15 May 2024

Identification of pathogenicity-associated milRNAs in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is a typical soil-borne fungus that causes Fusarium wilt by infecting the roots and blocking the vascular tissues of host banana, and threatens the global banana production.

10 May 2024

Understanding regulatory effects of miRNAs on myocardial cell injury after coronary microembolization

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. Coronary microembolization (CME) occurs in patients with acute coronary syndrome and is caused primarily by atherosclerotic plaque rupture associated with surgery.

15 Apr 2024

Restoring insulin sensitivity without TZD side effects

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are a class of drug that can be used to treat type 2 diabetes by reversing insulin resistance, one of the main hallmarks of the disease.

13 Apr 2024

miR-205 knockout surprises with enhanced mammary development and cancer insights

New research unveils the paradoxical role of miR-205 in mammary gland development and its potential impact on breast cancer, highlighting the miRNA's complex involvement in stem cell regulation and tumor suppression.

2 Apr 2024

Researchers pioneer a novel approach to enhance diabetic wound healing

Researchers unveiled a novel therapy for diabetic wound healing. This research highlights the use of exosomal miR-4645-5p from hypoxic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to significantly enhance wound healing by promoting keratinocyte autophagy.

14 Mar 2024

Innovative diagnostic platform uses sound waves for exosome-based disease detection

Mechanical engineers at Duke University have devised a new type of diagnostic platform that uses sound waves to spin an individual drop of water up to 6,000 revolutions per minute.

13 Mar 2024

Novel therapy harnesses stem cell-derived exosomes for diabetic wound healing

20 Feb 2024

Mediterranean diet linked to better semen quality, study finds

A systematic review reveals that adherence to the Mediterranean diet improves semen quality in men of reproductive age, suggesting a positive impact on male reproductive health.

19 Feb 2024

New cervical cancer detection method promises to reduce unnecessary screenings

The BMC Medicine study introduces the CerMe detection method, using PCDHGB7 hypermethylation to effectively triage high-risk HPV-positive women, potentially reducing unnecessary colposcopy referrals.

8 Feb 2024

Study shows how low dose of cadmium produces deleterious stress in lung epithelial cells

Cigarette smoke exposure is associated with the development and severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which is the third leading cause of death worldwide.

2 Feb 2024

New study identifies key role of microRNA-29 in scar-free wound healing

New findings in The American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, report that a class of small RNAs (microRNAs), microRNA-29, can restore normal skin structure rather than producing a wound closure by a connective tissue (scar).

2 Feb 2024

New brush test outperforms biopsies in early oral cancer detection

A new test invented by University of Illinois Chicago researchers allows dentists to screen for the most common form of oral cancer with a simple and familiar tool: the brush.

17 Jan 2024

3D nanomatrix vascular sheet model for high-throughput atherosclerosis drug testing

A groundbreaking 3D, three-layer nanomatrix vascular sheet that possesses multiple features of atherosclerosis has been applied for developing a high-throughput functional assay of drug candidates to treat this disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers report in the journal Biomaterials.

12 Jan 2024

Paternal sperm microRNAs also play a role in offspring health

A recent study has reported that changes in mice sperm microRNAs brought about by aging may affect the growth and development of offspring.