MicroRNA-24 therapeutic potentials in infarction, stroke, and diabetic complications

The prevalence of cardiovascular events, stroke, and diabetes worldwide underscores the urgent need for effective and minimally invasive treatments. With nearly 20 million annual casualties attributed to cardiovascular diseases and an estimated 463 million people living with diabetes in 2022. Identifying promising therapeutic candidates is paramount. MicroRNAs, short nucleic acids involved in regulating gene expression, emerge as potential game-changers. Among these, microRNA-24 (miR-24), a hypoxia-sensitive player in endothelial vessels, has protective roles against diverse vascular complications. Following heart infarction and stroke, elevating miR-24 expression proves beneficial by mitigating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis while enhancing cell survival. It reduces cardiac fibrosis in heart disease, regulates aberrant angiogenesis in cerebral hemorrhagic strokes, and enhances the functionality of cardiomyocytes and brain neurons. In diabetic conditions, augmenting miR-24 expression mitigates complications. Further, being miR-24 also expressed by the skeletal muscle (i.e., myo-miR) in response to exercise, this miRNA may participate in the complex molecular network that systemically spreads the beneficial effects of physical exercise. This review provides a comprehensive vision of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the miR-24 protective effects, offering new insights into its therapeutic potential and proposing a novel avenue for medical intervention.