MicroRNA-873 (miR-873)

MicroRNA-873 (miR-873) is a small non-coding RNA molecule that functions as a critical post-transcriptional regulator of gene expression by binding to the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of target messenger RNAs (NIH, 2019; NIH, 2009). Located on chromosome 9p21.1, it produces two mature strands, miR-873-5p and miR-873-3p, with the 5p strand being the most extensively studied in human pathologies (NIH, 2021; miRBase). miR-873 exhibits a context-dependent role in oncology, acting as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) by targeting the KRAS oncogene and inhibiting the PI3K/AKT and ERK signaling pathways (NIH, 2019). Conversely, it functions as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by targeting the tumor suppressor TSLC1 to promote cell proliferation and metastasis (ResearchGate, 2018). In metabolic and liver diseases, miR-873 is upregulated in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis, where it represses glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT), leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and lipid accumulation (NIH, 2018; MDPI, 2024). It also plays a protective role in the cardiovascular system, where it has been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size by targeting RIPK1 and RIPK3 to inhibit necrotic cell death (NIH, 2016). Therapeutic strategies under investigation include the use of miR-873 mimics to restore its tumor-suppressive activity and antagomirs to treat metabolic disorders and HCC (Spandidos, 2024; NIH, 2018). Despite its therapeutic potential, challenges such as off-target effects and the need for efficient delivery systems like nanoparticles remain significant hurdles for clinical translation (NIH, 2019; MDPI, 2022).

Other names

MIR873hsa-miR-873hsa-miR-873-5phsa-miR-873-3p

RNA interference (RNAi) and post-transcriptional gene silencing via binding to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs, leading to mRNA degradation or translational inhibition.