ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

Brief summary: This study summarises the involvement of specific miRNAs in diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, osteoporosis, pituitary tumours, Cushing’s disease, adrenal insufficiency and multiple endocrine neoplasia’s. Furthermore, the potential of miRNA as candidates for developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools is also discussed.

Endocrine disorders are common worldwide and represent a considerable public health problem due to long term-effects that can be difficult to manage and affect the quality of life of patients. In addition, endocrine disorders may also be a significant cause of death worldwide (1). To date, none of the conventional diagnoses or therapies for endocrine disorders are efficient or precise, which has outstood the urge to develop novel and more functional techniques.

MiRNAs are small (21–24 nucleotides long) endogenous non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression either by degradation of mRNA or translational inhibition (2, 3). Recently, miRNAs have been demonstrated to regulate various processes associated with endocrine disorders, such as high-glucose-induced apoptosis, insulin secretion, and proliferation, as well as glycolipid metabolism in diabetes mellitus; abnormal ciliogenesis in thyroid diseases; osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation in osteoporosis; proliferation and apoptosis in pituitary tumors; proliferation in Cushing’s syndrome; steroidogenesis in adrenal insufficiency; and adrenocortical proliferation in multiple endocrine neoplasia; among others. Although the precise roles of several miRNAs in various signaling pathways during the development of endocrine disorders have yet not been fully elucidated, these small molecules have drawn the attention of global researchers to be used for novel therapeutic purposes. Furthermore, miRNAs have shown promising results as disease biomarkers to detect the disease at an early stage, distinguish among different conditions of the patients, as well as to determine the disease’s severity.

Altogether, miRNAs have potential as novel biomarkers that allow the precise detection and management of endocrine disorders.

References: 1. Crafa A, Calogero AE, Cannarella R, Mongioi’ LM, Condorelli RA, Greco EA, Aversa A, La Vignera S. The burden of hormonal disorders: A worldwide overview with a particular look in Italy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021; 12:694325. 2. Xiang Y, Liao XH, Yu CX, Yao A, Qin H, Li JP, et al. MiR-93-5p inhibits the EMT of breast cancer cells via targeting MKL-1 and STAT3. Exp. Cell Res. 2017; 357 (1): 135–144. 3. de Sousa MC, Gjorgjieva M, Dolicka D, Sobolewski C, Foti M. Deciphering miRNAs’ action through miRNA editing. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019: 2020 (24): 62496249.