miRNAs in stem cell aging and age-related disease.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of mRNA targets and play a part in the post-transcriptional silencing. To date, the prominent roles of miRNAs in stem cells have been investigated in a wide range of biological processes, including self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation. In this commentary, we first demonstrate the causes and mechanisms of somatic stem cell aging in a new aspect of miRNAs. The functions of stem cells decline with age in diverse tissues due to cellular damages and congenital disorders. The somatic stem cells exhibit type-specific phenotypes with cellular senescence during the aging process. We explore the specific miRNAs regulating stem cell aging and age-related diseases. The functional investigations of the miRNAs in somatic stem cells and degenerative diseases might facilitate the translation of knowledge into clinical practice for the regulation of stem cell aging and aging-related diseases.