MicroRNA expression and function in cardiac ischemic injury

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) or myocardial ischemia is one of the leading causes of mortality all over the world. There is a definite need for new approaches to improve therapies and diagnostics. The pathological process leading to IHD is associated with an altered expression of genes that are important for cardiac functions. Micro- RNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as one of the central players regulating gene expression via degradation or translational inhibition of their target genes. Increasing evidence indicates that miRNAs may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers and innovative therapeutic targets in several human diseases including cardiovascular disease. Here, we review the latest advances in the identification and validation of myocardial ischemia-related miRNAs and their target genes and discuss the roles of specific miRNAs in regulating ischemia-related cardiac injury, including apoptosis, fibrosis, arrhythmia, and angiogenesis.