MicroRNA-128 (miR-128) (miR-128)

MicroRNA-128 (miR-128) is a brain-enriched, non-coding RNA molecule that serves as a critical post-transcriptional regulator of gene expression. It is primarily expressed in neurons and plays a fundamental role in neuronal differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and the modulation of neuronal excitability (Science, 2013; NIH, 2023). miR-128 is encoded by two distinct genomic loci, miR-128-1 and miR-128-2, which both yield the same mature guide strand, typically identified as miR-128-3p (NCBI, 2026). In clinical contexts, miR-128 is frequently characterized as a tumor suppressor; its downregulation is a hallmark of several aggressive cancers, including glioblastoma and breast cancer, where it fails to inhibit oncogenic targets such as BMI1 and TERT (Frontiers in Oncology, 2023; Oncotarget, 2018). Conversely, its dysregulation is also implicated in neurological disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease, making it a versatile therapeutic target (NIH, 2024). Current pharmacological approaches focus on using miRNA mimics to restore its function in oncology or antisense oligonucleotides (antagomirs) to inhibit its pathological activity in other conditions (MDPI, 2024).

Other names

hsa-miR-128-3pmiR-128-1miR-128-2miR-128aMicroRNA 128miR-128 mature guide strand

RNA interference-mediated gene silencing through translational repression or mRNA degradation by binding to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs.