A plasma circulating miRNAs profile predicts type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes: from the CORDIOPREV study

Abstract

Metabolic disease: a red flag for diabetes risk Tiny RNA molecules circulating in the blood could give early warning of type 2 diabetes risk. MicroRNAs help regulate the expression of other genes, and recent research has linked irregularities in these molecules to many different diseases. Researchers led by José López Miranda of the University of Córdoba in Spain monitored a cohort of 462 patients for several years to assess how plasma levels of certain microRNAs are deregulated before the onset and progression of diabetes. They observed a striking ‘signature’ of altered expression in four microRNAs for patients who developed diabetes over the course of the study. Intriguingly, patients with markedly elevated blood sugar—state known as prediabetes—exhibited a similar signature, but with more modest alteration in the gene expression levels, indicating that these microRNAs could help clinicians track and prevent disease onset.