Title:Focus on MicroRNAs as Biomarker in Pediatric Diseases
Volume: 27
Issue: 6
Author(s): Giuseppe Lassandro, Loredana Ciaccia, Anna Amoruso, Valentina Palladino, Viviana V. Palmieri and Paola Giordano*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari,Italy
Keywords:
MicroRNAs, pediatrics, children, biomarker, hemophilia, cancer, autism, metabolic syndrome.
Abstract:
Background: MiRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that are involved in the post-transcriptional
regulation of gene expression. MiRNAs are considered a class of epigenetic biomarkers. These biomarkers
can investigate disease at different stages: diagnosis, therapy or clinical follow-up.
Objective: The aim of this paper is to highlight the innovative use of miRNAs in several childhood diseases.
Methods: We conducted a literature review to search the usage of miRNAs in pediatric clinical routine or experimental
trials.
Results: We found a possible key role of miRNAs in different pediatric illnesses (metabolic alterations, coagulation
defects, cancer).
Conclusion: The modest literature production denotes that further investigation is needed to assess and validate
the promising role of miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers in pediatric disorders.