Abstract:

The 1989-discovered hepatitis virus type C (HCV) is a single-stranded RNA (of 9.6 kb) genome coding for about 3010 amino acid types. HCV infection is a significant health burden. Most often (55–85%), acute HCV infection progresses to chronic disease.

Little RNAs called micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are part of nearly every developmental or disease process, and in immunological and inflammatory responses as they control messenger RNA (mRNA) translation and mRNA stability. The aberrant regulation of miRNA is significantly linked to the occurrence and progression of numerous diseases.

MicroRNA-122 or “MiR-122", is a miRNA exclusive to liver. According to several studies, genome stability, translation, replication of HCV, and even HCC occurrence, invasiveness, and metastasis have all been linked to it.

Thus, liver-specific miR-122 represents a possible clinically significant candidate in chronic HCV infection and HCV-related HCC. It has potential as a new therapeutic target as well as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.