miR-122, a paradigm for the role of microRNAs in the liver

Recent studies have uncovered profound and unexpected roles for a family of tiny regulatory RNAs, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), in the control of diverse aspects of hepatic function and dysfunction, including hepatocyte growth, stress response, metabolism, viral infection and proliferation, gene expression, and maintenance of hepatic phenotype. In liver cancer, misexpression of specific miRNAs suggests diagnostic and prognostic significance. Here, we review the biology of the most abundant miRNA in human liver, miR-122, and consider the diversity of its roles in the liver. We provide a compilation of all miRNAs expressed in the liver, and consider some possible therapeutic opportunities for exploiting miRNAs in the different settings of liver diseases.