Identification of inhibitors of microRNA function from small molecule screens.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been linked to many human diseases including cancer, immune disorders, heart disease, and viral infections. Thus, small molecule inhibitors of miRNAs have potential as new therapeutic agents, as probes for the elucidation of detailed mechanisms of miRNA function, and as tools for the discovery of new targets for the treatment of human diseases. In order to identify small molecule inhibitors of specific miRNAs, functional assays have been developed and applied to the screening of small molecule libraries. Here, we report the application of a luciferase-based reporter assay of miRNA miR-122 function to the discovery of small molecule miR-122 inhibitors.