miRNAs as Modern Biomarkers in Asthma Therapy

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing, and wheezing. For several decades (approximately 30 years), miRNAs and their role in asthma have been of constant interest among scientists. These small, non-coding RNA fragments, 18-25 nucleotides long, regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by binding to the target mRNA. In this way, they affect several biological processes, e.g., shaping airway structures, producing cytokines and immune mediators, and controlling defense mechanisms. Publications confirm their potential role in the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease, but only some articles address the use of miRNAs in the treatment of asthma. The following paper reviews the latest available studies and presents miRNAs as a useful tool for predicting the effectiveness of the included treatment, early diagnosis of exacerbations, and in assessing patient compliance for different groups of drugs used in asthma. The latest known pathways underlying the pathogenesis of the disease, which are associated with a change in miRNA expression, may be precise targets of therapeutic activity in the future.

Keywords: antagomir; asthma; beta-mimetic; biological therapy; biomarkers; glucocorticosteroids; infection; miRNA; pathways; response; treatment.

Figure 1

miRNAs and their potential use in asthma.

Figure 2

Target direction of therapeutic actions in asthma.