Contribution of miRNAs to the pathogenesis of scleroderma and targeting them for the diagnosis and treatment

Scleroderma is one of the autoimmune diseases characterized by tissue fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. The understanding of its pathogenesis and the development of new diagnostic tools or effective therapeutic approaches are urgent.miRNAs 19–25 nucleotides in length, directly bind to complementary sequences in the three prime untranslated regions (3´ UTRs) of target mRNAs, leading to the modulation of gene expression. Various miRNAs including miR-29, -206, -125b, -21, -145, -196, -150, -129-5p, -92a, and let-7g may be associated with the fibrosis in scleroderma via regulating the expression of collagens, integrins or matrix metalloproteinases. In addition, serum levels of miR-29a, -196a, -150, -92a, and -142-3p are correlated with the diagnosis or disease activity of this disease. On the other hand, miRNA treatment may become a promising therapeutic strategy in various human diseases. Systemic administration of let-7-attenuated bleomycin-induced mice skin fibrosis, suggesting an antifibrotic effe...