Title: microRNA: human disease and development

Authors: Virendra S. Gomase, Akshay N. Parundekar

Addresses: Department of Bioinformatics, Padmashree Dr. D.Y. Patil University, Plot No. 50, Sector-15, CBD Belapur, Navi, Mumbai 400614 (MS), India. ' Department of Bioinformatics, Padmashree Dr. D.Y. Patil University, Plot No. 50, Sector-15, CBD Belapur, Navi, Mumbai 400614 (MS), India

Abstract: microRNAs or miRNAs are an abundant class of highly conversed, small non-coding RNAs that present an entirely new theme of post-transcriptional gene regulation. miRNAs play a key role in diverse biological systems, such as virology, embryogenesis, differentiation, inflammation and cancer research. Research showed the importance of these non-coding small RNAs on immune system development and response. It plays important regulatory roles in various metabolic pathways in most eukaryotes. miRNAs are found to be involved in the regulation of immunity, including the development and differentiation of immune cells, antibody production and the inflammatory mediator release.

Keywords: miRNAs; microRNA expression; biomarkers; stem cells; target predictions; cancer; gene regulation; immune system response; immune system development; metabolic pathways; eukaryotes; immunity regulation; bioinformatics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBRA.2009.028678

International Journal of Bioinformatics Research and Applications, 2009 Vol.5 No.5, pp.479 - 500

Published online: 22 Sep 2009 *

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