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MicroRNAs and mRNA in Human Health and Disease
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MicroRNAs and mRNA in Human Health and Disease

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 981

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Paulina Gil-Kulik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, 11 Radziwillowska Str., 20-080 Lublin, Poland
Interests: stem cells; mesenchymal stem cells; gene expression; microRNA; breast mik; cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue provides a comprehensive overview of the importance of microRNAs and mRNAs in the context of human health and diseases. The following types of submissions are welcome:

  • Reviews on the current state of the art and the role of microRNAs and mRNAs in gene regulation, their function in various biological processes, and their importance in disease pathogenesis.
  • Original research articles that present new findings on microRNAs and mRNAs in the context of specific diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, women's health, or perinatal health.
  • Articles on the potential therapeutic applications of microRNAs and mRNAs, including their role in diagnostics, disease prognosis, and as therapeutic targets.
  • Studies exploring the interactions between microRNAs and proteins, other RNAs, and their impact on cell signaling pathways.
  • Articles on future directions of research in the area of microRNAs and mRNAs and their potential impact on personalized medicine.

Dr. Paulina Gil-Kulik
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • stem cells
  • mesenchymal stem cells
  • gene expression
  • microRNA
  • mRNA

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2267 KB  
Article
Alterations in the Platelet Transcriptome Mediate Prenatal Thirdhand Smoke Exposure Associated Thrombogenicity via Integrated miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Networks
by Hamdy E. A. Ali, Ahmed B. Alarabi, Fatima Z. Alshbool and Fadi T. Khasawneh
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7633; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157633 - 7 Aug 2025
Viewed by 784
Abstract
Cigarette smoking is acknowledged as the most preventable risk factor for thrombogenesis-associated cardiovascular disease. Mice prenatally exposed to the thirdhand smoke (THS) form of tobacco exhibited a higher tendency to develop occlusive thrombosis, along with enhancement of several platelet functional responses. Our objective [...] Read more.
Cigarette smoking is acknowledged as the most preventable risk factor for thrombogenesis-associated cardiovascular disease. Mice prenatally exposed to the thirdhand smoke (THS) form of tobacco exhibited a higher tendency to develop occlusive thrombosis, along with enhancement of several platelet functional responses. Our objective was to investigate whether prenatal (in utero) THS exposure impacts the platelet transcriptome, resulting in enhanced platelet functional responses, thereby underlying THS-associated thrombogenicity. Blood samples obtained from twenty male mice prenatally exposed to THS, along with an equal number of age-matched male mice exposed to clean air (CA) as a control, were divided into pools of five animals and used to prepare leukocyte and red blood cell-depleted platelets. RNA sequencing for mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) was utilized to analyze and compare the platelet expression profiles of the two exposure groups. RNA seq analyses revealed distinct changes in both gene expression and miRNA profiles, with 448 coding genes and 18 miRNAs significantly altered between the two groups. miRNA–mRNA interaction analysis highlighted 14 differentially expressed miRNAs that potentially target 120 of the differentially expressed genes in our data set. Interestingly, altered genes in miRNA–mRNA pairs were functionally enriched into pathways associated with platelet physiology, including platelet activation, signaling and aggregation, and cellular response to chemical stimuli. Our findings establish—for the first time—that prenatal exposure to THS modifies the platelet transcriptome, thereby rendering platelets hypersensitive to stimuli and more prone to thrombogenicity. Additionally, we illuminate the coordinated function of platelet miRNA and mRNA targets in mediating this response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MicroRNAs and mRNA in Human Health and Disease)
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Review

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29 pages, 982 KB  
Review
Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms and Immunological Effects of Vitamin D in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
by Mateusz Pakosiński, Martyna Żyła, Anna Kamieniak, Natalia Kluz and Paulina Gil-Kulik
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(21), 10576; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262110576 - 30 Oct 2025
Abstract
Introduction: Vitamin D is involved in numerous processes and is obtained both exogenously and endogenously. Its active form is 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, which exerts its biological effects via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The main factors influencing VDR density are polymorphisms of the VDR gene, [...] Read more.
Introduction: Vitamin D is involved in numerous processes and is obtained both exogenously and endogenously. Its active form is 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, which exerts its biological effects via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The main factors influencing VDR density are polymorphisms of the VDR gene, which may affect, e.g., gene mRNA stability and also VDR gene expression. There are four main polymorphic sites within the gene, BsmI, ApaI, FokI and TaqI, and two polymorphisms related to the gene promoter: GATA and Cdx2. One of the functions of vitamin D is to modulate the immune system. It affects T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and dendritic cells. Currently, vitamin D deficiency is a common global problem that is associated with an increased risk of autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Numerous studies have demonstrated an association between low vitamin D levels and elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, and have also proven the existence of a negative correlation between vitamin D levels andanti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibody titers. Review objectives and a concise summary of the methodology: The review aims to analyze studies examining the relationship between specific VDR polymorphisms, vitamin D levels, and the development of various diseases, with a particular emphasis on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This review is based on original and review articles written in English published between March 2018–November 2024 searched primarily in the PubMed, and additionally in Google Scholar databases. A narrative review of the literature was conducted. Conclusions: The presence of specific VDR polymorphisms influences the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation, but the role of supplementation in the prevention of autoimmune diseases has not been definitively confirmed. To date, studies have primarily involved relatively small groups of patients with significant population heterogeneity, with case–control investigations being the most common. Therefore, further research on larger, more homogeneous groups is recommended to achieve more standardized results. Additionally, the influence of epigenetic factors modulating VDR activity and its interactions with the environmental factors is also important. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MicroRNAs and mRNA in Human Health and Disease)
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