Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids (Dec 2021)

Non-coding RNA basis of muscle atrophy

  • Qi Liu,
  • Jiali Deng,
  • Yan Qiu,
  • Juan Gao,
  • Jin Li,
  • Longfei Guan,
  • Hangil Lee,
  • Qiulian Zhou,
  • Junjie Xiao

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 26
pp. 1066 – 1078

Abstract

Read online

Muscle atrophy is a common complication of many chronic diseases including heart failure, cancer cachexia, aging, etc. Unhealthy habits and usage of hormones such as dexamethasone can also lead to muscle atrophy. However, the underlying mechanisms of muscle atrophy are not completely understood. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), play vital roles in muscle atrophy. This review mainly discusses the regulation of ncRNAs in muscle atrophy induced by various factors such as heart failure, cancer cachexia, aging, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), peripheral nerve injury (PNI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), unhealthy habits, and usage of hormones; highlights the findings of ncRNAs as common regulators in multiple types of muscle atrophy; and summarizes current therapies and underlying mechanisms for muscle atrophy. This review will deepen the understanding of skeletal muscle biology and provide new strategies and insights into gene therapy for muscle atrophy.

Keywords