Title:The Role of MicroRNA-126 in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular
Diseases
Volume: 30
Issue: 17
Author(s): Panagiotis Theofilis, Evangelos Oikonomou, Georgia Vogiatzi, Marios Sagris, Alexios S. Antonopoulos, Gerasimos Siasos, Dimitrios C. Iliopoulos, Despoina Perrea, Manolis Vavouranakis, Konstantinos Tsioufis and Dimitris Tousoulis*
Affiliation:
- 1st Cardiology Department, “Hippokration” General Hospital, University of Athens Medical School,
Athens, Greece
Keywords:
miR-126, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, biomarker, angiogenesis, inflammation.
Abstract: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity
and mortality worldwide despite all efforts made towards their management. Other than
targeting the traditional risk factors for their development, scientific interest has been
shifted towards epigenetic regulation, with microRNAs (miRs) being at the forefront.
MiR-126, in particular, has been extensively studied in the context of cardiovascular diseases.
Downregulated expression of this miR has been associated with highly prevalent
cardiovascular risk factors such as arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. At the
same time, its diagnostic and prognostic capability concerning coronary artery disease is
still under investigation, with up-to-date data pointing towards a dysregulated expression
in a stable disease state and acute myocardial infarction. Moreover, a lower expression of
miR-126 may indicate a higher disease complexity, as well as an increased risk for future
major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. Ultimately, overexpression of
miR-126 may emerge as a novel therapeutic target in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases
due to its potential in promoting therapeutic angiogenesis and anti-inflammatory effects.
However, the existing challenges in miR therapeutics need to be resolved before
translation to clinical practice.