Role of MicroRNAs in TGF-β Signaling Pathway-Mediated Pulmonary Fibrosis

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 18; no. 12; p. 2527
• Main Author: Kang, Hara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.11.2017; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Fibrosis; Gene expression; Growth factors; Humans; Lung diseases; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; miRNA; Post-transcription; Pulmonary fibrosis; Pulmonary Fibrosis - genetics; Pulmonary Fibrosis - metabolism; Pulmonary Fibrosis - pathology; Regulators; Review; Signal Transduction; TGF-β signaling pathway; Transforming growth factor; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Transforming growth factor-b; microRNAs; TGF-β signaling pathway; pulmonary fibrosis
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms18122527

Pulmonary fibrosis is the most common form of interstitial lung disease. The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway is extensively involved in the development of pulmonary fibrosis by inducing cell differentiation, migration, invasion, or hyperplastic changes. Accumulating evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are dysregulated during the initiation of pulmonary fibrosis. miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs functioning as negative regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. A number of miRNAs have been reported to regulate the TGF-β signaling pathway and consequently affect the process of pulmonary fibrosis. A better understanding of the pro-fibrotic role of the TGF-β signaling pathway and relevant miRNA regulation will shed light on biomedical research of pulmonary fibrosis. This review summarizes the current knowledge of miRNAs regulating the TGF-β signaling pathway with relevance to pulmonary fibrosis.