Non-Coding RNAs in Chronic Liver Diseases
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2019) | Viewed by 194
Special Issue Editors
Interests: liver; hepatic stellate cell; hepatic progenitor cell; liver fibrosis; chronic liver disease; in vitro models of liver disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Liver fibrosis, which is the outcome of persistent hepatic inflammation due to an initial damage caused by for instance toxins, hepatitis infections or alcohol abuse, has serious long-term consequences for patient morbidity and mortality if left unmanaged. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most prominent forms of chronic liver disease worldwide. NAFLD encompasses a spectrum of successive conditions ranging from simple steatosis to more severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that in turn may progress to liver fibrosis and life-threatening cirrhosis. During fibrogenesis, the rigidness of the tissue, infiltration of inflammatory cells, injured endothelial cells, apoptotic hepatocytes and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in turn stimulate the activation of the remaining quiescent HSCs. Thus, a vicious circle of inflammatory and fibrogenic cells, stimulating each other, is established.
While the steps and cells involved in chronic liver disease and fibrosis are well known, the genetic regulatory pathways steering the decisions of the involved cells are less clear. The discovery of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has vastly increased the list of potential genes involved in regulating liver fibrogenesis. Several classes of ncRNAs exist and are named after their size or function, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs, guideRNAs, small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) small nuclear RNAs (snRNA), extracellular RNAs (exRNAs or exosomal RNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). ncRNAs have been shown to modulate gene expression or genome remodeling during cell proliferation and differentiation, organogenesis and disease. A comprehensive understanding of the transcriptional regulation of and by ncRNAs in liver fibrosis will surely lead to novel approaches to efficiently and selectively detect and tackle chronic liver diseases. Already several ncRNAs have been identified as potential biomarkers of disease and are in clinical development to be used as RNA therapeutics. This Special Issue will cover all aspects of ncRNAs relevant for liver fibrosis.
Suggested Topics:
- Transcriptional regulation by ncRNAs in liver fibrosis and chronic liver disease
- Liver cell type specific ncRNAs and their function
- Use of ncRNAs as biomarkers of chronic liver disease
- Transport of ncRNAs by extracellular vesicles
- Use of ncRNA as therapeutics for chronic liver disease
- ncRNA profiling in NAFLD and NASH patients
- Single cell analysis of ncRNAs in healthy and diseased livers
- Role of ncRNAs in liver regeneration and reversal of fibrosis
- Interaction between ncRNAs and mRNAs in chronic liver disease
- ncRNA mediated Intercellular communication in the liver
Dr. Leo A. van Grunsven
Dr. Inge Mannaerts
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- ncRNAs
- Biomarker
- Intercellular communication
- Transcriptional regulation
- Hepatic stellate cells
- miRNA
- lncRNA
- NAFLD
- Chronic liver disease
- Fibrosis
