Emerging role of microRNAs in cardiovascular diseases

Despite the recent progress in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, these are still a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For this reason, a large research effort was directed to the identification of the underlying pathophysiological aspects of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, many mechanisms still need to be more deeply investigated, limiting the development of efficient diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for a relevant number of patients. Recently, microRNAs (miRs) emerged as powerful regulators of biological processes, offering a further opportunity to better understand the biological mechanisms responsible for the development of cardiovascular diseases, including cellular function and cell-to-cell communication. At the same time, the recent demonstration that cell-derived circulating miRs can be measured in the blood opens up their use as powerful biomarkers. The present review summarizes the most relevant experimental evidences on the involvement of miRs in cardiovascular diseases, including vascular remodeling, coronary artery disease, heart failure and ischemic stroke, thus highlighting potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies.