MicroRNAs and Benign Biliary Tract Diseases

GRADILONE, SERGIO; O´HARA, STEVE; MASYUK, TETYANA; LORENZO PISARELLO, MARÍA JOSÉ; LARUSSO, NICHOLAS

SEMINARS IN LIVER DISEASE

THIEME MEDICAL PUBL INC

Año: 2015 vol. 35 p. 26 - 35

0272-8087

Cholangiocytes, the epithelial cells lining the biliary tree, represent only a small portionof the total liver cell population (3?5%), but they are responsible for the secretion of upto 40% of total daily bile volume. In addition, cholangiocytes are the target of a diversegroup of liver diseases affecting the biliary tract, the cholangiopathies; for most of theseconditions, the pathological mechanisms are unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small,noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression. Thus, it is notsurprising that altered miRNA profiles underlie the dysregulation of several proteinsinvolved in the pathobiology of the cholangiopathies, as well as showing promise asdiagnostic and prognostic tools. Here the authors review recent work relevant to therole of miRNAs in the etiopathogenesis of several of the cholangiopathies (i.e.,fibroinflammatory cholangiopathies and polycystic liver diseases), discuss their valueas prognostic and diagnostic tools, and provide suggestions for further research.