MicroRNA-148b (miR-148b)

MicroRNA-148b (miR-148b) is a small, non-coding RNA molecule belonging to the miR-148/152 family, which also includes miR-148a and miR-152 [2, 6]. It plays a critical role in post-transcriptional gene regulation by binding to the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to their degradation or translational repression [6, 11]. miR-148b is involved in a wide array of biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and angiogenesis [1, 11]. In the context of human disease, miR-148b frequently acts as a tumor suppressor and is often downregulated in various malignancies such as hepatocellular, gastric, and pancreatic cancers [2, 7, 10]. However, its role can be context-dependent, as it has been reported to be upregulated in certain conditions like ovarian cancer [10]. Beyond oncology, miR-148b is implicated in cardiovascular health, wound healing, and neurological recovery following ischemic stroke [1, 8]. Therapeutic strategies targeting miR-148b involve the use of miRNA mimics to restore its suppressive function in cancers or antagomirs to inhibit its activity where it may be detrimental [1, 4, 8].

Other names

hsa-mir-148bmiR-148b-3pmiR-148b-5pMIR148B

miR-148b acts through post-transcriptional gene silencing by binding to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs, which results in either the degradation of the mRNA transcript or the inhibition of its translation into protein [6, 11, 13]. Key downstream targets include ROCK1, TGFB2, SMAD2, and Bcl-w, through which it modulates pathways such as Wnt/beta-catenin and MAPK/JNK [1, 2, 4, 6].