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Review
. 2022 Nov 24;12(12):1074.
doi: 10.3390/bios12121074.

Recent Advances in the Roles of MicroRNA and MicroRNA-Based Diagnosis in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Juan Zhang  1 , Zhu Chen  1 , Hui Chen  1 , Yan Deng  1 , Song Li  1 , Lian Jin  1
Affiliations
Review

Recent Advances in the Roles of MicroRNA and MicroRNA-Based Diagnosis in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Juan Zhang et al. Biosensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases manifest as progressive loss of neuronal structures and their myelin sheaths and lead to substantial morbidity and mortality, especially in the elderly. Despite extensive research, there are few effective treatment options for the diseases. MicroRNAs have been shown to be involved in the developmental processes of the central nervous system. Mounting evidence suggest they play an important role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. However, there are few reviews regarding the roles of miRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes the recent developments in the roles of microRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases and presents the application of microRNA-based methods in the early diagnosis of these diseases.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s disease; early diagnosis; microRNA; neurodegenerative diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the biosynthesis process of miRNA. Genes encoding miRNAs are transcribed to pri-miRNA, which is then converted to pre-miRNA. Pre-miRNA is transported to the cytoplasm and converted into miRNA duplexes which, together with the protein, creates an effector complex, RNA-induced silencing complex. Meanwhile, miRNA duplexes are converted into single strands, one of which remains as mature miRNA. At last, mature miRNA does its role in mRNA translation through binding to their target regions [48].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Possible challenges of miRNA-based diagnostics in neurodegenerative diseases.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic diagram of the role of miRNA in neurodegenerative diseases.
Figure 4
Figure 4
MiRNAs abnormally expressed miRNAs in AD.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Proposed mechanisms of intercellular α-synuclein transmission. α-synuclein is transferred from donor cells into the extracellular space, as naked protein or in vesicles such as exosomes. They then act as seeds for protein aggregation in the recipient cells. Release mechanisms include the non-vesicular release of free α-synuclein (A), exocytosis (B), transport via tunnelling nanotubules (C), and exosomal transport (D). Uptake mechanisms include endocytosis (E), exosome uptake (F), leading to α-synuclein aggregation formation (G).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Role of miR-155 in a mouse model of ALS.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Schematic representation of HD pathogenesis.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Potential miRNAs for the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of AD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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