ABSTRACT
The microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous and short (~22nt), non-coding RNAs, which are implicated in post-transcriptional regulation of mRNAs. There exists an impressive number of results establishing the involvement of miRNAs in different kinds of diseases. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a kind of neurodegenerative disease in which the structure and function of neurons encounter progressive loss and possible death. It is characterized by the continuous loss of memory capabilities and quite a few designated functions. Being a fine-tuner of gene functionalities, miRNAs have also been found to be associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. Many of the physiological processes underlying AD are influenced by miRNAs in both the convergent and divergent approach. In this chapter, we briefly cover the biological causes behind the progression of AD and how they are instantiated by the intervention of miRNA activity. We refer to six broad areas of interference between miRNAs and AD, namely APP synthesis and processing, inflammatory mechanisms, different stresses and apoptosis, production anomaly of tau, axonal and neuritic disorder, and synaptic dysfunction. The interplay between these activities and the causes of AD are discussed in detail.
