To the Editor:
MicroRNAs have emerged as important posttranscriptional regulators of gene transcription. The interesting review by Rupani et al. [1] on microRNAs in respiratory diseases is, thus, accurately timed. We use this opportunity to additionally mention the role of microRNAs in pulmonary hypertension, which has been investigated both in experimental models and in human disease and, as recently reviewed in the European Respiratory Journal [2], might be of pathogenetic relevance for pulmonary hypertension. Caruso et al. [3], for example, described alterations in the expression of dicer, which is one of the most important microRNA processing enzymes, probably explaining the reduced expression levels of several microRNAs in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Some of these, such as miR-150 [4], have been described as independent predictors for an adverse outcome. Others, including miR-204 [5] have been linked to important signalling pathways in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells. Finally, our own work, has identified the microRNA cluster 17/92 as directly targeting the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II [6], which, as shown by successful inhibition by antagomirs in vivo [7, 8], could be a causative therapeutic approach for the vascular remodelling of pulmonary arteries.
Footnotes
Support statement: The project “Role of microRNAs in pulmonary hypertension: diagnosis and treatment” is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (31003A_144212).
Conflict of interest: None declared.
- Received March 4, 2013.
- Accepted March 8, 2013.
- ©ERS 2014