A decade later: future perspectives on dietary microRNAs

Chenyu Tao; Hongyuan Guo

doi:10.55092/exrna20240004

Review

Open Access

A decade later: future perspectives on dietary microRNAs

Chenyu Tao¹Hongyuan Guo^1,²^,∗

¹ Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China

² Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China

* hongyuanguo@nju.edu.cn

Volume
Volume 6 Issue 1, 2024
Citation
Tao C, Guo H. A decade later: future perspectives on dietary microRNAs. ExRNA 2024(1):0004, https://doi.org/10.55092/exrna20240004.
DOI
10.55092/exrna20240004
Copyright
Copyright2024 by the authors. Published by ELSP.

Abstract

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a class of single-stranded non-coding RNAs of approximately 22 nt in length, which are widely distributed in animals and plants. MiRNAs are involved in post-transcriptional regulation and thus influence many physiological processes. The function of dietary miRNAs has long been overlooked because it was thought that they could not survive the gastrointestinal environment. However, there is increasing evidence that these dietary miRNAs are not only capable of being absorbed by consumers such as humans, but also appear to be extensively involved in various physiological activities. In this review, we look back at studies on the stability, absorption, redistribution and function of dietary miRNAs in the decade since their discovery, as well as possible future applications. Although current research on dietary miRNAs is not well developed, we expect that this review will provide new directions for future interpretation or study of the concept of dietary miRNAs in cross-species regulation.

Keywords

microRNA; functional food component; exosome; gastrointestinal tract; plant; mammal; cross-species regulation

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