Novel noncoding RNAs biomarkers in acute respiratory distress syndrome

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a very common condition associated with critically ill patients, which causes substantial morbidity and mortality. Currently, there is no effective clinical ARDS treatment strategy. Novel targets that effectively treat ARDS need to be found.

Areas covered: Data sources were published articles through June 2019 in PubMed using the following keywords: ‘acute respiratory distress syndrome,’ ‘miRNAs,’ ‘lncRNAs,’ and ‘biomarkers.’ The selection of studies focused on in cellular model, animal model, and clinical studies of ARDS.

Expert commentary: Accumulated evidence revealed that some specific miRNAs and lncRNAs could regulate the signaling pathways of the pathophysiology by targeting specific molecule in ARDS. The differentially expressed miRNAs exert a crucial role in apoptosis of neutrophil, antigen-presenting cells and lung epithelial cell, and the dysfunction of mitochondrial. Recently, the influence of lncRNAs upon miRNA function is also rapidly emerging. In some cases, lncRNA MALAT1 target TLR4 to mediate the p38 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway in ARDS rat model. In other cases, lncRNA CASC2 was found to act as a ceRNA of miR-144-3p which directly targeted AQP1 in LPS-induced A549 cell. In addition, other miRNA-lncRNA regulatory patterns in ARDS and novel biomarkers still require deeper research.

KEYWORDS:

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome
• miRNAs
• lncRNAs

Article highlights

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the most advanced form of acute lung injury (ALI), which causes substantial morbidity and mortality. There need to find novel targets that effectively treat ARDS.

• The pathobiology of ARDS involves multiple imbalances such as imbalance of inflammatory response, abnormal blood coagulation system, dysfunction of endothelial cells and vasoactive substances, and dysregulation of alveolar-capillary barrier.

• Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) as a novel biomarker has been identified is crucial to diagnosis for ARDS. The differentially expressed miRNAs and lncRNAs exert a crucial role in ARDS.

• The regulatory functions of miRNAs and lncRNAs were determined in a number of basic physiological and pathological processes, including inflammatory responses, epithelial and endothelial damage, apoptosis, and activation of immune cells, which are crucial in the development of ARDS.

• Elucidating the miRNA-lncRNA regulatory patterns in ARDS and novel biomarkers to better provide a theoretical reference for clinical individualized treatment and improve drug development for ARDS.

Authors’ contributions

XFC planned, designed, and wrote the manuscript; JTH and YPP planned and designed this review; ZHT designed and revised this review. All authors reviewed, revised, and approved the manuscript for submission.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81660313), Talents Highland of Emergency and Medical Rescue of Guangxi Province in China (GXJZ201602), State Key Clinical Specialty Construction Project (Grant No. 2011-873) and the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2013GXNSFAA019117).