Abstract
MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that bind to multiple target mRNAs to control gene expression post-transcriptionally by inhibiting translation. In mammalian cells, microRNAs play important roles in a diverse array of cellular processes (e.g. cell proliferation and differentiation). However, alterations in their levels may compromise cellular function, predisposing to disease. In this review, we discuss microRNAs that have been linked with pathogenesis of asthma and propose functional roles in the regulation of disease. MicroRNAs have the potential to be biomarkers for asthma and provide the platform for the development of new classes of therapeutic compounds.
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Acknowledgements
Hock L. Tay, Maximilian Plank, and Adam Collison contributed equally to this work.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.