Molecular Morbidity Score: Can MicroRNAs Assess the Burden of Disease?

The article discusses the potential of microRNAs as biomarkers for assessing the burden of multimorbidity, which involves multiple chronic diseases often excluded from clinical trials. MicroRNAs, stable in bodily fluids and capable of regulating gene expression, could predict disease associations and outcomes, offering a molecular approach to evaluate multimorbidity. The authors propose a molecular morbidity score using microRNAs to improve clinical decision-making and include multimorbid patients in trials. Despite their promise, microRNAs' role in multimorbidity is under-researched, necessitating further studies. The document highlights microRNAs' involvement in ageing processes and chronic diseases, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets and emphasizing the need for research inclusive of multimorbid patients to enhance clinical outcomes.