New insights into Shiga toxin-mediated endothelial dysfunction in hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli represents a significant global health concern, especially as hypervirulent pathogens surface amidst outbreaks of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Shiga toxin (Stx) is key in the microangiopathic events underlying the disease and its central role is underscored by the unprecedented HUS outbreak in Germany in 2011.

The Role of MicroRNAs in Human Diseases.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules which bind to target mRNAs, resulting in translational repression and gene silencing and are found in all eukaryotic cells. Approximately 2200 miRNA genes have been reported to exist in the mammalian genome, from which over 1000 belong to the human genome. Many major cellular functions such as development, differentiation, growth, and metabolism are known to be regulated by miRNAs.

Noncoding RNAs and Cancer.

The eukaryotic complexity involves the expression and regulation of genes via RNA-DNA, RNA-RNA, DNA-protein and RNA-protein interactions. Recently, the role of RNA molecules in the regulation of genes in higher organisms has become more evident, especially with the discovery that about 97% of the transcriptional output in higher organisms are represented as noncoding RNAs: rRNA, snoRNAs, tRNA, transposable elements, 5' and 3' untranslated regions, introns, intergenic regions and microRNAs. MicroRNAs function by negatively regulating gene expression via degradation or translational inhibition of their target mRNAs and thus participate in a wide variety of physiological and pathological cellular processes including: development, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis pathways.