EpisomiR, a New Family of miRNAs, and Its Possible Roles in Human Diseases
Yasuko Arao,
Mika Nakayama,
Yoshiko Tsuji,
Yumiko Hamano,
Chihiro Otsuka,
Andrea Vecchione,
Ken Ofusa,
Hideshi Ishii
Affiliations
Yasuko Arao
Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Department of Medical Data Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka 2-2, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Mika Nakayama
Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Department of Medical Data Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka 2-2, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Yoshiko Tsuji
Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Department of Medical Data Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka 2-2, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Yumiko Hamano
Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Department of Medical Data Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka 2-2, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Chihiro Otsuka
Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Department of Medical Data Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka 2-2, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Andrea Vecchione
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Santo Andrea Hospital, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Ken Ofusa
Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Department of Medical Data Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka 2-2, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Hideshi Ishii
Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Department of Medical Data Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka 2-2, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are synthesized through a canonical pathway and play a role in human diseases, such as cancers and cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, psychiatric, and chronic inflammatory diseases. The development of sequencing technologies has enabled the identification of variations in noncoding miRNAs. These miRNA variants, called isomiRs, are generated through a non-canonical pathway, by several enzymes that alter the length and sequence of miRNAs. The isomiR family is, now, expanding further to include episomiRs, which are miRNAs with different modifications. Since recent findings have shown that isomiRs reflect the cell-specific biological function of miRNAs, knowledge about episomiRs and isomiRs can, possibly, contribute to the optimization of diagnosis and therapeutic technology for precision medicine.
