There is clinical potential for miRNA as therapeutics for cardiovascular disease

Many miRNAs have been reported to be altered in cardiovascular disease; both cellular and extracellular levels. Understanding exactly when and how miRNA expression is influencing the development of normal cells into diseased cells will undoubtedly help lead to improved diagnosis and possibly treatment for cardiovascular diseases.

Expression profiling results have shown that miRNAs are involved in cardiac hypertrophy formation and thus might be a new therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases involving cardiac hypertrophy such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, valvular diseases, and endocrine disorders.

Indeed, researchers have demonstrated that inhibition of specific miRNAs can spare cardiomyocytes from death during myocardial infarction.