miRNAs in the Pathophysiology of Diabetes and Their Value as Biomarkers

Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease characterized by altered glucose homeostasis due to either an absolute deficiency of pancreatic islet β-cell insulin production (type 1 diabetes) or a combination of insufficient insulin secretion and cellular resistance to the metabolic effects of insulin (type 2 diabetes). In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small RNA transcriptional and posttranscriptional inhibitors of gene expression, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Here, we focus on miRNAs implicated as key regulators in the development of diabetes, discuss several miRNAs identified as potential circulating biomarkers for diabetes, and address the merits and limitations for miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of this disease.