MicroRNA 323a (miR-323a) endogenous target messenger RNAs (miR-323a targets)

MicroRNA 323a (miR-323a) endogenous target mRNAs represent a collective set of transcripts regulated by the miR-323a microRNA, primarily through binding to their 3' untranslated regions. This regulatory network is a critical modulator of several key biological pathways, including the TGF-beta/SMAD signaling axis and the IGF1R pathway, which govern processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and tissue fibrosis (Ge et al., 2016, JCI; Wang et al., 2015, OncoTargets). In diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the loss of miR-323a leads to the upregulation of these target mRNAs, promoting pathological myofibroblast activity and extracellular matrix accumulation. In various cancers, miR-323a targets often include oncogenes, where the microRNA acts as a tumor suppressor to inhibit metastasis and growth (Zhang et al., 2019, Gene). Therapeutic strategies focus on using miR-323a mimics to replenish the microRNA and suppress its downstream targets or using antagomirs to inhibit the microRNA in contexts where it may be overexpressed. Because miR-323a regulates a broad spectrum of mRNAs, it serves as a multi-nodal therapeutic target capable of influencing complex disease phenotypes.

Other names

miR-323a-3p targetshsa-miR-323a targetsmiR-323a-5p targetsMicroRNA 323a-regulated transcripts

MicroRNA-mediated gene silencing through sequence-specific binding to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs, leading to mRNA degradation or translational inhibition.