MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, endogenous, non-coding RNA molecules that function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression by imperfect base-pairing with the 3'-untranslated regions of their target mRNAs. Altered expression of numerous miRNAs has been shown to be extensively involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases and cancers. Additionally, the specific expression of miRNAs in the nervous system has indicated that miRNAs are critical for the occurrence and development of neurological diseases. Increasing evidence has shown that specific miRNAs target the expression of particular proteins that are significant in the disease pathogenesis. Therefore, miRNA-mediated regulation may be important in the occurrence and development of neurological diseases and may function as a novel biomarker and tool for clinical therapy. In the present study, the significance of miRNAs is reviewed in a number of neurological disorders and the possibility of their use in therapeutic interventions is evaluated.
Keywords: cerebral ischemia; epilepsy; microRNA; neurodegenerative disorders; stroke; traumatic injury.