microRNAs Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Intracranial Aneurysm | Insight Medical Publishing

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are sac-like dilatations of arteries inside the brain. This pathology can cause severe neuronal and non-neuronal injuries with high impact in the quality of life. Recently, MicroRNAs have been proposed to be a major switch in a wide variety of vascular diseases including the ones in which vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) changes it`s phenotype. The critical role that miR`s may have in the development, progression, and rupture of aneurysms propose them to be a potential tool as a predictor biomarker for clinical diagnostic and progression and also as a future target for new therapeutic interventions. However, miRNAs and their connection with target genes require much efforts before miRNA expression analysis is applied in the clinical practice.