There is clinical potential for miRNA as therapeutics in metabolic disease

miRNAs have been shown to be involved in a wide range of biological processes with highly tissue specific expression and distinct temporal expression patterns.

There is a urgent need for the development of novel and effective approaches for treatment of metabolic diseases such as diabetic nephropathy and osteoporosis. Targeting inhibition of miRNAs may provide new therapeutic approaches for these and other metabolic diseases.

Researchers have shown that expression of specific miRNAs attenuated glomerular hypertrophy, one of the earliest pathological abnormalities in diabetic nephropathy, indicating it may represent a novel therapeutic target.

Others found that a specific miRNA is dramatically upregulated during osteoclastic differentiation of circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells and its inhibition attenuated osteoclastogenesis.