Title:MicroRNAs: The New Challenge for Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnosis
Volume: 18
Issue: 4
Author(s): Enrica Pinchi*, Cipolloni Luigi, Santoro Paola, Volonnino Gianpietro, Tomassi Raoul, Arcangeli Mauro and Frati Paola
Affiliation:
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome,Italy
Keywords:
Traumatic brain injury, molecular pathways, microRNAs, animal models, clinical studies, forensic pathology,
therapeutic biomarkers.
Abstract: The acronym TBI refers to traumatic brain injury, an alteration of brain function, or an
evidence of brain pathology, that is caused by an external force. TBI is estimated to become the
third leading cause of permanent disability and mortality worldwide. TBI-related injuries can be
classified in many ways, according to the degree of severity or the pathophysiology of brain injury
(primary and secondary damage). Numerous cellular pathways act in secondary brain damage: excitotoxicity
(mediated by excitatory neurotransmitters), free radical generation (due to mitochondrial
impairment), neuroinflammatory response (due to central nervous system and immunoactivation)
and apoptosis. In this scenario, microRNAs are implicated in the regulation of almost all genes at
the post-transcriptional level. Several microRNAs have been demonstrated to be specifically expressed
in particular cerebral areas; moreover, physiological changes in microRNA expression during
normal cerebral development upon the establishment of neural networks have been characterized.
More importantly, microRNAs show profound alteration in expression in response to brain
pathological states, both traumatic or not. This review summarizes the most important molecular
networks involved in TBI and examines the most recent and important findings on TBI-related microRNAs,
both in animal and clinical studies. The importance of microRNA research holds promise
to find biomarkers able to unearth primary and secondary molecular patterns altered upon TBI, to
ultimately identify key points of regulation, as a valuable support in forensic pathology and potential
therapeutic targets for clinical treatment.