[Advances in the role of miR-378a in skeletal muscle development and diseases]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous noncoding RNAs involved in post-transcriptional regulation. miR-378a is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and plays important roles in myogenesis, maintenance of muscle homeostasis, and disease progression. Studies indicate that miR-378a participates in myogenic differentiation, energy metabolism, and muscle fiber-type switching by regulating molecules such as histone deacetylase 4 and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1. Dysregulated miR-378a is associated with muscle diseases: in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, its expression level negatively correlates with disease severity, and overexpression can ameliorate disease phenotypes; in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 3, rhabdomyosarcoma, sarcopenia, and spinal muscular atrophy, its potential value as a biomarker or therapeutic target has attracted increasing attention. This review summarizes the molecular characteristics of miR-378a and its roles in skeletal muscle development and related diseases, providing a reference for clinical translation.