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Review
. 2020 Aug 21:13:160.
doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00160. eCollection 2020.

MicroRNAs in Alzheimer's Disease: Function and Potential Applications as Diagnostic Biomarkers

Wei Wei  1   2 , Zhi-Yong Wang  2 , Li-Na Ma  2 , Ting-Ting Zhang  1   2 , Yu Cao  2 , Hao Li  2
Affiliations
Review

MicroRNAs in Alzheimer's Disease: Function and Potential Applications as Diagnostic Biomarkers

Wei Wei et al. Front Mol Neurosci. .

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Although the incidence of AD is high, the rates of diagnosis and treatment are relatively low. Moreover, effective means for the diagnosis and treatment of AD are still lacking. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are non-coding RNAs that play regulatory roles by targeting mRNAs. The expression of miRNAs is conserved, temporal, and tissue-specific. Impairment of microRNA function is closely related to AD pathogenesis, including the beta-amyloid and tau hallmarks of AD, and there is evidence that the expression of some microRNAs differs significantly between healthy people and AD patients. These properties of miRNAs endow them with potential diagnostic and therapeutic value in the treatment of this debilitating disease. This review provides comprehensive information about the regulatory function of miRNAs in AD, as well as potential applications as diagnostic biomarkers.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; biomarker; diagnosis; microRNAs; pathogenesis.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in Aβ metabolism. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a type I integral inner membrane-localized protein. Under normal conditions, APP is hydrolyzed by α-secretase to produce the neuroprotective soluble external functional fragments (sAPP), P3 and the APP intracellular domain (AICD) (no plaque formation); in contrast, β-secretase-mediated APP hydrolysis generates plaque-forming Aβ, which is neurotoxic. The γ-secretase enzyme is crucial for both secretase pathways.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
MiRNAs play a role to diagnose AD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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