Micro-RNAs in cognition and cognitive disorders: Potential for novel biomarkers and therapeutics.
Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory non-coding RNAs involved in the regulation of many biological functions. In the brain, they have distinct expression patterns depending on region, cell-type and developmental stage. Their expression profile is altered by neuronal activation in response to behavioral training or chemical/electrical stimulation. The dynamic changes in miRNA level regulate the expression of genes required for cognitive processes such as learning and memory. In addition, in cognitive dysfunctions such as dementias, expression levels of many miRNAs are perturbed, not only in brain areas affected by the pathology, but also in peripheral body fluids such as serum and cerebrospinal fluid. This presents an opportunity to utilize miRNAs as biomarkers for early detection and assessment of cognitive dysfunctions. Further, since miRNAs target many genes and pathways, they may represent key molecular signatures that can help understand the mechanisms of cognitive disorders and the development of potential therapeutic agents.
['Woldemichael|Bisrat T|BT|', 'Mansuy|Isabelle M|IM|']
D000818:Animals D015415:Biomarkers D003071:Cognition D003072:Cognition Disorders D006801:Humans D007858:Learning D035683:MicroRNAs D009473:Neuronal Plasticity D009841:Oligonucleotides
Biomarkers miRNA Learning and memory Cognitive dysfunctions Alzheimer’s disease