MicroRNAs in atopic dermatitis: a review

For reprints contact: service@oaepublish.com Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disease, generally the first clinical manifestation of atopy and the start of atopic march. Effective treatment of AD could potentially interrupt the progression of atopic march. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a recently described class of gene expression regulators in inflammatory conditions, affect expression of numerous proteins. The role of miRNAs has been investigated in several atopic conditions, including asthma, eosinophilic esophagitis, allergic rhinitis as well as atopic dermatitis. They have been shown to be involved in the morphogenesis of skin. The therapeutic effects of inhibition or overexpression of miRNAs have been demonstrated in murine models. Considering their role as master switches of complex cellular processes, they could be potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory skin conditions including atopic dermatitis. MiRNAs can be detected in different cell-free body fluids, such as serum, plasma, urine and saliva, raising the obvious question whether they can be used as biomarkers of disease. This review article summarizes what is known so far abut miRNAs and atopic dermatitis.