Involvement of Endothelial Cell microRNAs in the Regulation of Angiogenesis

The 20th century brought the crucial realization that over 80% of genes play additional biological roles in the cell, particularly in regulating the expression of other genes. Many of these genes produce various noncoding regulatory RNAs, including microRNAs, small molecules that can modulate protein expression. MicroRNAs are single-stranded RNA sequences, typically 20–25 nucleotides in length, that exert post-transcriptional control over gene expression by either degrading target mRNAs or repressing their translation. This review explores key aspects of microRNA biogenesis in mammalian cells, along with their functions in endothelial cells and their role in regulating angiogenesis.