# Exploring the MicroRNA Landscape in Cardiac Amyloidosis: Molecular Insights and Clinical Applications

**Authors:** Joanna E. Kontaraki, Anthoula Plevritaki, Aleksi Sallo, Konstantinos Fragkiadakis, Eleutherios Kallergis, Evangelos Zacharis, John Kopidakis, Emmanouil Kampanieris, Sophia Achladianaki, Vasiliki Papakosta, Emmanouil Simantirakis, Maria E. Marketou

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/genes17030356 · 2026-03-23

## TL;DR

This paper explores how microRNAs (miRNAs) can help diagnose and manage cardiac amyloidosis by identifying molecular patterns linked to disease progression and severity.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific miRNA signatures that distinguish between types of cardiac amyloidosis and correlate with clinical outcomes.

## Key findings

- Dysregulated miRNA networks contribute to amyloid-induced cardiac injury through mechanisms like inflammation and fibrosis.
- Distinct miRNA signatures differentiate between transthyretin and light-chain cardiac amyloidosis.
- Circulating miRNAs correlate with disease severity and clinical outcomes in cardiac amyloidosis.

## Abstract

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an increasingly recognized cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, resulting from myocardial deposition of misfolded amyloid fibrils derived predominantly from transthyretin (ATTR wild-type [ATTRwt] or variant [ATTRv]) or immunoglobulin light chains (AL). Despite advances in noninvasive imaging and disease-modifying therapies, delayed diagnosis remains common, and clinically actionable molecular biomarkers for early detection, phenotypic discrimination, and therapeutic monitoring are limited. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression, have emerged as key modulators of cardiovascular remodeling and systemic amyloid biology. Methods: We performed a comprehensive review of experimental, translational, and clinical studies to evaluate the role of miRNAs in transthyretin and light-chain cardiac amyloidosis, incorporating data from myocardial tissue analyses, circulating miRNA profiling, and mechanistic studies in cellular and animal models. Results: Dysregulated miRNA networks contribute to amyloid-induced cardiac injury by modulating mitochondrial energetics, oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, proteostasis, and neurocardiac signaling. Specific miRNAs, including members of the miR-21, miR-29, and miR-30 families, as well as miR-150-5p and miR-339, have been associated with amyloid burden, adverse myocardial remodeling, plasma cell biology, and disease severity. Distinct circulating and tissue miRNA signatures differentiate transthyretin from light-chain cardiac amyloidosis and correlate with functional status, heart failure biomarkers, and clinical outcomes. Conclusions: MiRNAs represent promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cardiac amyloidosis and offer mechanistic insights into disease pathogenesis. Integration of miRNA profiling with multimodality imaging and emerging RNA-based therapeutics may enable earlier diagnosis and support precision management of amyloid-related heart failure.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** heart failure (MONDO:0005252)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** TTR (transthyretin) [NCBI Gene 7276] {aka AMYLD1, ATTR, CTS, CTS1, HEL111, HsT2651}, MIR21 (microRNA 21) [NCBI Gene 406991] {aka MIRN21, hsa-mir-21, miR-21, miRNA21}, MIR339 (microRNA 339) [NCBI Gene 442907] {aka MIRN339, hsa-mir-339, mir-339}
- **Diseases:** light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (MESH:D000075363), AL (MESH:D009101), CA (MESH:D000686), cardiac injury (MESH:D006331), fibrosis (MESH:D005355), heart failure (MESH:D006333), amyloid (MESH:C000718787), inflammation (MESH:D007249)

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13027005/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13027005