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Review
. 2021 May 24:15:687973.
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.687973. eCollection 2021.

Alzheimer's Disease and microRNA-132: A Widespread Pathological Factor and Potential Therapeutic Target

Meng Zhang  1 , Zhigang Bian  2
Affiliations
Review

Alzheimer's Disease and microRNA-132: A Widespread Pathological Factor and Potential Therapeutic Target

Meng Zhang et al. Front Neurosci. .

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly and is the most common type of dementia. AD is mostly gradual onset, and involves slow, progressive mental decline, accompanied by personality changes; the incidence of AD gradually increases with age. The etiology of AD is unknown, although it is currently believed to be related to abnormal deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the brain, hyperphosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau, and the release of various cytokines, complements, activators and chemokines by cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of highly conserved non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, and manipulate the functions of intracellular proteins and physiological processes. Emerging studies have shown that miRNA plays an important role in regulating AD-related genes. MiR-132 is known as "NeurimmiR" due to its involvement in numerous neurophysiological and pathological processes. Accumulating pre-clinical results suggest that miR-132 may be involved in the progression of Aβ and tau pathology. Moreover, clinical studies have indicated that decreased circulating miR-132 levels could be used a potential diagnostic biomarker in AD. Here, we review the pathogenic role of miR-132 activity in AD, and the potential of targeting miR-132 for developing future therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; biomarker; miR-132; neuroprotection; pathogenesis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Proposed molecular targets and clinical application of miR-132 in Alzheimer’s disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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