miR-21 in Human Cardiomyopathies

miR-21 is a 22-nucleotide long microRNA that matches target mRNAs in a complementary base pairing fashion and regulates gene expression by repressing or degrading target mRNAs. miR-21 is involved in various cardiomyopathies, including heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Expression levels of miR-21 notably change in both heart and circulation and provide cardiac protection after heart injury. In the meantime, miR-21 also tightly links to cardiac dysfunctions such as cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. This review focuses on the miR-21 expression pattern and its functions in diseased-heart and further discusses the feasibility of miR-21 as a biomarker and therapeutic target in cardiomyopathies.

Automated summary

miR-21, a 22-nucleotide long microRNA, plays a crucial role in various cardiomyopathies by regulating gene expression and providing cardiac protection after injury. It is also closely linked to cardiac dysfunctions such as hypertrophy and fibrosis.