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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Systems Microbiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1540943

Systematic Review of Bidirectional Interaction Between Gut Microbiome, miRNAs, and Human Pathologies

Provisionally accepted
Lorenzo Drago Lorenzo Drago 1,2*Luigi Regenburgh De La Motte Luigi Regenburgh De La Motte 1Loredana Deflorio Loredana Deflorio 1Delia Francesca Sansico Delia Francesca Sansico 1Michela Salvatici Michela Salvatici 1Emanuele Micaglio Emanuele Micaglio 3Manuele Biazzo Manuele Biazzo 4Fabiana Giarritiello Fabiana Giarritiello 1,5*
  • 1 UOC Laboratory of Clinical Medicine with Specialized Areas, MultiMedica Scientific and Technological Pole, MultiMedica (IRCCS), Milano, Lombardy, Italy
  • 2 Clinical Microbiology and Microbiome Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Lombardy, Italy
  • 3 Genetic consultant, MultiMedica Scientific and Technological Pole, MultiMedica (IRCCS), Milano, Lombardy, Italy
  • 4 Triq San Giljan, The BioArte (Life Science Park), San Gwann, Malta
  • 5 Department of Medicine and Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and the gut microbiome are key regulators of human health, with emerging evidence highlighting their complex, bidirectional interactions in chronic diseases. miRNAs, influence gene expression and can modulate the composition and function of the gut microbiome, impacting metabolic and immune processes. Conversely, the microbiome can affect host miRNA expression, influencing inflammatory pathways and disease susceptibility. This systematic review examines recent studies (2020-2024) focusing exclusively on human subjects, selected through rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were included if they investigated the interaction between miRNAs and the gut microbiome in the context of gastrointestinal diseases, obesity, autoimmune diseases, cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders, and autism. In vitro, in vivo and in silico analyses were excluded to ensure a strong translational focus on human pathophysiology. Notably, miRNAs, stable and abundant in patients, are emerging as promising biomarkers of microbiome-driven inflammation. This systematic review provides an overview of miRNAs, their regulatory effects on bacterial strains, and their associations with specific diseases. It also explores therapeutic advances and the potential of miRNA-based therapies to restore microbial balance and reduce inflammation

    Keywords: miRNA, gut microbioma, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Major depressive disorder (MDD), cardiovascular disease

    Received: 09 Dec 2024; Accepted: 21 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Drago, De La Motte, Deflorio, Sansico, Salvatici, Micaglio, Biazzo and Giarritiello. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Lorenzo Drago, UOC Laboratory of Clinical Medicine with Specialized Areas, MultiMedica Scientific and Technological Pole, MultiMedica (IRCCS), Milano, Lombardy, Italy
    Fabiana Giarritiello, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.