Potential Role of miRNAs as Theranostic Biomarkers of Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy includes a group of disorders of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures. Although familial epilepsy has a genetic component and heritability, the etiology of the majority of non-familial epilepsies has no known associated genetic mutations. In epilepsy, recent epigenetic profiles have highlighted a possible role of microRNAs in its pathophysiology. In particular, molecular profiling identifies a significant number of microRNAs (miRNAs) altered in epileptic hippocampus of both animal models and human tissues. In this review, analyzing molecular profiles of different animal models of epilepsy, we identified a group of 20 miRNAs commonly altered in different epilepsy-animal models. As emerging evidences highlighted the poor overlap between signatures of animal model tissues and human samples, we focused our analysis on miRNAs, circulating in human biofluids, with a principal role in epilepsy hallmarks, and we identified a group of 8 diagnostic circulating miRNAs. We discussed the functional role of these 8 miRNAs in the epilepsy hallmarks. A few of them have also been proposed as therapeutic molecules for epilepsy treatment, revealing a great potential for miRNAs as theranostic molecules in epilepsy.

Keywords: biomarker; diagnosis; epilepsy; miRNA; microRNA; theranostic molecules.