MicroRNAs may provide new strategies in the treatment and diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy: Importance of VEGF
نویسندگان
1 Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
2 Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
3 Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
4 Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
5 Ocular Tissue Engineering Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6 Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
7 Ocular Tissue Engineering Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
doi
10.22038/ijbms.2021.52164.11807چکیده
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is ocular microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Along with the increasing prevalence of diabetes worldwide, DR has come into the major cause of human blindness. Several studies have demonstrated the important roles of the expression alteration in the proteins contributed to vascular dysfunction during DR, especially vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, there is a need for further mechanistic research in this context to design new therapeutic and diagnostic programs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) have been introduced as key controllers of gene expression in a variety of biological processes including differentiation, proliferation, and metabolism. Altered expression of miRNAs during DR development indicates a close relationship between these regulatory molecules and DR through regulating gene expressions. This review discusses and updates the functions of miRNA-dependent pathways and key roles of VEGF in the DR, which may increase our understanding and ability to target these small but important molecules to efficiently improve therapeutic and diagnostic approaches.
