Role of microRNAs in vascular diseases, inflammation, and angiogenesis

The integrity of the endothelial monolayer is fundamental for the homoeostasis of the vascular system. Functional endothelial cells are also required for the growth of new blood vessels during neovascularization. Although multiple growth factors have been shown to regulate angiogenesis and vascular development, little is known about the complex upstream regulation of gene expression and translation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an emerging class of highly conserved, non-coding small RNAs that regulate gene expression on the post-transcriptional level by inhibiting the translation of protein from mRNA or by promoting the degradation of mRNA. More than 500 human miRNAs have been identified so far, and increasing…