MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of endogenous noncoding small RNAs characterized by high conservation; furthermore, various studies have shown the capability of miRNAs to impact diseases. For example, a study shows that cell-free miRNAs are stable in bodily fluids, which gives circulating miRNAs the ability to be potential biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis. Additionally, accumulating studies have supported that miRNAs can function as suppressor genes, again demonstrating their effect on disease. This review introduces this particular role of miRNAs as well as analyzes the prospect of miRNAs as biomarkers and the capacity for using miRNA-based resources to benefit mankind.
Keywords: MicroRNA; biomarker; disease diagnosis.