The miR-223: An Inflammatory MicroRNA Involved in Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Dysregulation or mutation of miRNA genes have been linked to the pathogenesis of MS. The miRNAs are short, 20-22 nucleotide long, single-stranded regulatory and non-protein coding RNAs that modulate the expression of multiple target genes. Among miRNAs, miR-223 has been reported to play a critical role in MS. This review concentrates on the emerging role of miR-223 in inflammatory responses and specifically discusses how alterations in miR-223 expression are associated with the development of MS. This review also suggests that miR-223 can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis of MS and discovering novel therapeutics for MS treatment.