MicroRNAs in adipogenesis and as therapeutic targets for obesity

available in PMC 2011 October 7

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alexander, Ryan (Contributor), Lodish, Harvey F. (Contributor), Sun, Lei (Contributor)
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering (Contributor), Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (Contributor)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Informa Healthcare, 2014-02-07T20:13:53Z.
Subjects:
Online Access:Get fulltext
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100 1 0 |a Alexander, Ryan  |e author 
100 1 0 |a Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Alexander, Ryan  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Lodish, Harvey F.  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Sun, Lei  |e contributor 
700 1 0 |a Lodish, Harvey F.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Sun, Lei  |e author 
245 0 0 |a MicroRNAs in adipogenesis and as therapeutic targets for obesity 
260 |b Informa Healthcare,   |c 2014-02-07T20:13:53Z. 
856 |z Get fulltext  |u http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/84704 
520 |a available in PMC 2011 October 7 
520 |a Introduction: Obesity and obesity-related disease have reached pandemic proportions and are prevalent even in developing countries. Adipose tissue is increasingly being recognized as a key regulator of whole-body energy homeostasis and consequently as a prime therapeutic target for metabolic syndrome. This review discusses the roles of miRNAs, small endogenously expressed RNAs that regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level, in the development and function of adipose tissue and other relevant metabolic tissues impacted by obesity. Several high-throughput studies have identified hundreds of miRNAs that are differentially expressed during the development of metabolic tissues or as an indication of pathophysiology. Further investigation has functionalized the regulatory capacity of individual miRNAs and revealed putative targets for these miRNAs. Therefore, as with several other pathologies, miRNAs are emerging as feasible therapeutic targets for metabolic syndrome. Areas covered: This review provides a comprehensive view of miRNAs involved in adipogenesis, from mesenchymal stem cell lineage determination through terminal adipocyte differentiation. We also discuss the differential expression of miRNAs among adipose depots and the dysregulation of miRNAs in other metabolic tissues during metabolic pathophysiology. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting miRNAs in obesity and give a perspective on the challenges and advantages of miRNA-based drugs. Expert opinion: miRNAs are extensive regulators of adipocyte development and function and are viable therapeutic targets for obesity. Despite the broad-spectrum and redundancy of miRNA-target interactions, sophisticated bioinformatic approaches are making it possible to determine the most physiologically relevant miRNAs to target in disease. In vivo delivery of miRNAs for therapeutic purposes is rapidly developing and has been successful in other contexts. Additionally, miRNAs can be used as prognosis markers for disease onset and progression. Ultimately, miRNAs are prime therapeutic targets for obesity and its consequent pathologies in other metabolic tissues. 
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655 7 |a Article 
773 |t Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets