MicroRNAs in normal and malignant myelopoiesis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding protein, single-stranded RNA of 18–22 nucleotides, that exert their actions at post-transcriptional level, mostly through base pairing with the 3′-untranslated region of the target mRNA, thus leading to its translational repression and/or degradation. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs play a crucial role in normal hematopoiesis through the control of the expression of key regulators of hematopoiesis (i.e., transcription factors, growth factor receptors, chemokine receptors), involving regulatory loops that selectively operate in the various hematopoietic lineages. Extensive miRNA deregulation has been observed in leukemia and functional studies support a role for miRNAs in the pathogenesis of these disorders.