AUTHOR=Piscopo Paola , Albani Diego , Castellano Anna E. , Forloni Gianluigi , Confaloni Annamaria TITLE=Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and MicroRNAs JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience VOLUME=8 YEAR=2016 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00017 DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2016.00017 ISSN=1663-4365 ABSTRACT=
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) includes a spectrum of disorders characterized by changes of personality and social behavior and, often, a gradual and progressive language dysfunction. In the last years, several efforts have been fulfilled in identifying both genetic mutations and pathological proteins associated with FTLD. The molecular bases undergoing the onset and progression of the disease remain still unknown. Recent literature prompts an involvement of RNA metabolism in FTLD, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs). Dysregulation of miRNAs in several disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, and increasing importance of circulating miRNAs in different pathologies has suggested to implement the study of their possible application as biological markers and new therapeutic targets; moreover, miRNA-based therapy is becoming a powerful tool to deepen the function of a gene, the mechanism of a disease, and validate therapeutic targets. Regarding FTLD, different studies showed that miRNAs are playing an important role. For example, several reports have evaluated miRNA regulation of the progranulin gene suggesting that it is under their control, as described for miR-29b, miR-107, and miR-659. More recently, it has been demonstrated that