AUTHOR=Gu Yue-Yu , Lu Fu-Hua , Huang Xiao-Ru , Zhang Lei , Mao Wei , Yu Xue-Qing , Liu Xu-Sheng , Lan Hui-Yao 

TITLE=Non-Coding RNAs as Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Diabetic Kidney Disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.583528

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2020.583528

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common diabetic complication and is a leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. Increasing evidence shows that DKD is regulated not only by many classical signaling pathways but also by epigenetic mechanisms involving chromatin histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNA (ncRNAs). In this review, we focus on our current understanding of the role and mechanisms of ncRNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of DKD. Of them, the regulatory role of TGF-β/Smad3-dependent miRNAs and lncRNAs in DKD is highlighted. Importantly, miRNAs and lncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for DKD are also described, and the perspective of ncRNAs as a novel therapeutic approach for combating diabetic nephropathy is also discussed.</p>