TITLE:
Extracellular Micro-RNAs in Health and Disease: Basic Science, Biogenesis and Release
AUTHORS:
Wael Nassar, Mervat El-Ansary, Tarek Fayyad, Mostafa Abdel Aziz
KEYWORDS:
Extracellular miRNAs, Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), Exosomes, Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT), Microvesicles (MVs)
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Molecular Biology,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
5,
2016
ABSTRACT: Small non-protein coding micro-RNAs are regularly exported out of cells, both in health and disease.
More than ninety percent of extracellular miRNAs are associated with lower-molecular-mass
complexes bound to Argonaute 2 (Ago2), nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1) and high density lipoproteins
(HDL), whereas the rest (~10%) are membrane-vesicle-encapsulated within exosomes, shedding
microvesicles and apoptotic bodies. Regardless of the debate of the nature of circulating miRNA as
byproducts of routine cell activities or mediators of cell-cell communication, proper understanding
of the molecular behaviors of miRNA in health and disease, is expected to open a new gate for
the discovery of new diagnostic tools and possibly therapeutic implementation in the near future.