MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have received most of the attention over the last decades in particular for their role in tempering gene expression. An increasing number of studies highlighting the importance of miRNAs in the development and progression of atherosclerosis have been performed. Recently, it was shown that miRNAs exert their role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis via the regulation of atherosclerosis-prone genes as well as their impact in regulating post-transcriptional gene expression. Hence, by affecting the level of synthesised protein within cells, they may be significant in driving the dysregulation that affects endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and leukocytes, which initiates and augments the growth of an atherosclerotic plaque. Furthermore, the circulating levels of vascular cell-enriched miRNAs in patients could serve as a marker of disease severity and phenotypes. The accumulating evidence also indicates that their effects on atherosclerosis may allow us to exploit miRNAs as novel therapeutics or clinical biomarkers that may lead to better management of vascular diseases. Current reports providing insights into the impact of miRNAs and the mechanisms of their influences in atherosclerosis are reviewed here with a particular emphasis on studies that have been recently published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Keywords: atherosclerosis; endothelial cells; microRNAs; muscle, smooth; vascular diseases.