MicroRNA targeted therapy in cardiovascular disease

MicroRNA (miRNA) are small noncoding RNA involved in the regulation of virtually all biological processes. In the past decade, miRNAs have been implicated in the etiology of various pathologies, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Monitoring the expression profile of circulating miRNAs can provide precious information on the development and progression of CVD such as myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, or pulmonary hypertension. The development of novel tools tackling miRNA expression is opening doors to new therapeutical avenues. This chapter will focus on the miRNA-based advances in CVD diagnosis and therapy. We will highlight the role of translational research, from bench to patient, in developing miRNAs-based therapies by detailing their progression from early preclinical experiments (in vitro and in vivo experiments on small animals) to large animal studies and finally human clinical trials. Furthermore, we will provide examples of how miRNAs may act as readily accessible biomarkers of CVD in the near future.