Functional Role of miR-155 in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications

• Published in: Non-coding RNA Vol. 7; no. 3; p. 39
• Main Authors: Jankauskas, Stanislovas S., Gambardella, Jessica, Sardu, Celestino, Lombardi, Angela, Santulli, Gaetano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 07.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Biosynthesis; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (insulin dependent); Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetic neuropathy; Diabetic retinopathy; epigenetics; Gene expression; Glucagon; Hepatitis C; inflammation; Insulin; Insulin resistance; islets; Islets of Langerhans; MicroRNAs; miRNA; Nephropathy; Obesity; Pathogenesis; Plasma; Polymorphism; Retinopathy; Review; Serum levels; Skeletal muscle; β-cells
• ISSN: 2311-553X; 2311-553X
• DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7030039

Substantial evidence indicates that microRNA-155 (miR-155) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications. A number of clinical studies reported low serum levels of miR-155 in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Preclinical studies revealed that miR-155 partakes in the phenotypic switch of cells within the islets of Langerhans under metabolic stress. Moreover, miR-155 was shown to regulate insulin sensitivity in liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. Dysregulation of miR-155 expression was also shown to predict the development of nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy in DM. Here, we systematically describe the reports investigating the role of miR-155 in DM and its complications. We also discuss the recent results from in vivo and in vitro models of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and T2D, discussing the differences between clinical and preclinical studies and shedding light on the molecular pathways mediated by miR-155 in different tissues affected by DM.