miRNA biomarkers: advancing early detection of acute myocardial infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most serious cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, characterized by myocardial necrosis due to acute or persistent ischemia and hypoxia of cardiac muscle. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of AMI can significantly mitigate mortality rates and disability. Currently, troponin is the primary diagnostic marker for clinical detection of AMI. However, a discernible abnormal elevation of troponin is not detectable until 3-4 h after the onset of AMI. Hence, it is urgent to develop more sensitive biomarkers capable of predicting early indications. MicroRNAs hold great potential as novel markers in the early diagnosis of AMI due to their early appearance and specificity. Research has demonstrated that certain microRNAs can be detected within 1 h following the onset of acute myocardial infarction. To facilitate early differentiation of AMI progression, numerous state-of-the-art techniques have been developed for efficient detection of AMI-derived microRNAs. This review provides an in-depth examination of the diverse potential microRNA markers along with their detection methodologies over the past eight years, emphasizing the technical advantages, limitations, and future prospects.