Emerging role of microRNAs in major depressive disorder and its implication on diagnosis and therapeutic response
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Published on: September 15, 2018
Lisha Zhou1, Yingying Zhu1, Wangyang Chen1
1Department of Basic Medical Science, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, 318000, China.
Background:
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious and common psychiatric disorder with a high prevalence in the population. Although great advances have been made, its pathogenesis is still unclear and a validated biomarker for diagnosis or therapeutic response remains unidentified. This review aims at summarizing the functional role of miRNAs in MDD pathogenesis and their potential as biomarkers for MDD diagnosis and antidepressant response.
Methods:
We performed a bibliographic research on the main databases (PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science) using the terms "microRNAs", "major depressive disorder", "synaptic plasticity", "biomarker", "antidepressant treatment", in order to find studies that propose the role of microRNAs in MDD pathogenesis and their potential as biomarkers for MDD diagnosis and antidepressant response.
Results:
microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small noncoding RNAs, act as key regulators of synaptic plasticity in MDD pathogenesis. Growing researches provide the evidence for peripheral miRNAs as potential biomarkers for MDD diagnosis and antidepressant response. These results suggest that targeting miRNAs directly could be therapeutically beneficial for MDD and miRNAs are potential biomarkers of MDD and its treatment.
Limitations:
The role of miRNAs in MDD pathogenesis needs further investigation. Whether miRNAs in peripheral tissues truly represent brain-derived miRNAs is still unclear at the present time. Moreover, only a few blood miRNAs alterations are consistent across studies.
Conclusions:
Overall, miRNAs act key regulators of synaptic plasticity in MDD pathogenesis and hold significant promise as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for MDD, but further research is still needed.
Insights
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate synaptic plasticity in major depressive disorder (MDD) and show promise as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment response. Further research is needed to validate their role and therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric condition with unclear pathogenesis.
- Validated biomarkers for MDD diagnosis and treatment response are currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis of MDD.
- To explore the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for MDD diagnosis and antidepressant response.
Main Methods:
- Bibliographic research conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science.
- Keywords included "microRNAs", "major depressive disorder", "synaptic plasticity", "biomarker", and "antidepressant treatment".
Main Results:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of synaptic plasticity in MDD pathogenesis.
- Peripheral miRNAs show potential as biomarkers for MDD diagnosis and response to antidepressant treatment.
- Targeting miRNAs may offer therapeutic benefits for MDD.
Conclusions:
- MiRNAs play a crucial role in MDD pathogenesis and synaptic plasticity.
- MiRNAs hold promise as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for MDD.
- Further investigation is required to fully elucidate the role of miRNAs in MDD.
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