Symposium: MicroRNAs: Biology and roles in Neurodegeneration and Brain Tumors - Introduction and historical background

Biological revolutions are, sometimes, born out of experimental artifacts or from completely unexpected experimental results. Such is the case for the RNA interference (RNAi) and microRNA (miRNA) revolution. I will provide a brief historical account of the birth of this fascinating field; I offer my sincere apologies for any unintended omissions. The reviews that follow present in more detail our current understanding of the field and how it impacts neurobiology and neuropathology, especially brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases.