Control by a Hair’s Breadth: The Role of MicroRNAs in the Skin

The 2012 review "Control by a hair’s breadth: the role of microRNAs in the skin" discussed the significant role of microRNAs, small single-stranded RNA molecules, in skin and hair follicle biology, including differentiation, proliferation, and pigmentation. The authors found that microRNAs were involved in various skin processes such as appendage formation, wound-healing, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, carcinogenesis, immune response, and aging. They also discovered that pseudogenes may serve as decoys for microRNAs, adding a new level of complexity to microRNA regulation. The review highlighted the role of specific microRNAs in controlling skin cell proliferation, differentiation, and senescence, and their potential therapeutic applications for various skin pathologies. The authors concluded that the regulation of microRNAs is complex and their impact on gene expression control should not be underestimated.