RNA (Epi)genetics in cardiovascular diseases.

Next-generation sequencing has greatly improved our knowledge of the mammalian transcriptome, identifying thousands of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are RNAs that rather than translate for proteins, have regulatory functions. Perhaps unsurprisingly, dysregulation of individual ncRNAs has been associated with the development of pathologies, including of the cardiovascular system. The best-characterized group of ncRNAs is represented by the short, highly conserved RNAs named microRNAs (miRNAs). This ncRNA species, which principally exerts an inhibitory action on gene expression, has been implicated in many cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately, the complexity of action of other types of ncRNA, such as long ncRNAs, has somewhat hampered the study of their role in cardiovascular pathologies. A detailed characterization of the mechanism of action of these different ncRNA species would be conducive to a better understanding of the cellular processes underlying cardiovascular disease and may lead to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. Here, we give an overview of the current knowledge on the function of ncRNAs and their roles in cardiovascular disease development, concentrating mainly on microRNAs and long ncRNAs.

Elia L ，Condorelli G 《-》

Genetics meets epigenetics: Genetic variants that modulate noncoding RNA in cardiovascular diseases.

After the recent description of the human genome by the ENCODE and the FANTOM consortia, major attention has been addressed to the so-called "genomic noise", which mainly consists of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Among them, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs have been demonstrated to modulate gene expression and to be involved in several human diseases. Since ncRNAs and their targets are encoded in the genome, genetic principles apply. Common variants are supposed to influence the expression level and the functionality of ncRNAs, with subsequent differential regulation of their target genes. Moreover, several reports showed that polymorphisms in ncRNA or their target genes play a role in the development of cardiovascular adverse phenotype. Here, we provide an overview of the effects of these variations in cardiovascular diseases.

Calore M ，De Windt LJ ，Rampazzo A 《-》

Epigenetics and Vascular Diseases: Influence of Non-coding RNAs and Their Clinical Implications.

Elia L ，Quintavalle M 《-》

Noncoding RNAs and pancreatic cancer.

Peng JF ，Zhuang YY ，Huang FT ，Zhang SN ... -  《-》

Circulating Noncoding RNAs as Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease and Injury.

The discovery of thousands of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) has expanded our view on mammalian genomes and transcriptomes, as well as their organization and regulation. Accumulating evidence on aberrantly regulated ncRNAs, including short microRNAs, long ncRNAs and circular RNAs, across various heart diseases indicates that ncRNAs are critical contributors to cardiovascular pathophysiology. In addition, ncRNAs are released into the circulation where they are present in concentration levels that differ between healthy subjects and diseased patients. Although little is known about the origin and function of such circulating ncRNAs, these molecules are increasingly recognized as noninvasive and readily accessible biomarker for risk stratification, diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac injury, and multiple forms of cardiovascular disease. In this review, we summarize recent findings on biological characteristics of circulating ncRNAs and highlight their value as potential biomarker in selected pathologies of cardiovascular disease.

Viereck J ，Thum T 《-》