Progress in study on the role of exosome-derived microRNA in diagnosis and treatment of diseases / 中南大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Exosome is a kind of biological membrane structure at nanometer level. It is secreted by various cells in the body and widely distributed in most body fluids, such as saliva, blood, and milk. Biological active substances, including mRNAs, microRNAs, cytokines, and transcription factor, have been identified in the exosomes. MiRNAs are short and non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. MiRNAs extensively involves in henogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis. With various biological functions, exosome-derived miRNAs can not only be served as biomarkers to diagnose tumor, neurological diseases and mental disorders, but also possess potential as therapeutic targets.