The Current State of MicroRNAs as Restenosis Biomarkers

Abstract

In-stent restenosis corresponds to the diameter reduction of coronary vessels following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), an invasive procedure in which a stent is deployed into the coronary arteries, producing profuse neointimal hyperplasia. The reasons for this process to occur still lack a clear answer, which is partly why it remains as a clinically significant problem. As a consequence, there is a vigorous need to identify useful non-invasive biomarkers to differentiate and follow-up subjects at risk of developing restenosis, and due to their extraordinary stability in several bodily fluids, microRNA research has received extensive attention to accomplish this task. This review depicts the current understanding, diagnostic potential and clinical challenges of microRNA molecules as possible blood-based restenosis biomarkers.