MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs regulating gene expression at the post-translational level. miRNA-based therapeutic agents are important because of the functionality of miRNAs in regulating lipid and glucose metabolism and their role in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, where dysregulation leads to disease; they are also important in angiogenesis. miRNAs additionally serve as biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognosis and risk assessment of disease and in monitoring the response to treatment. Here, we provide a brief overview of progress in miRNA-based therapeutics in the preclinical and clinical setting and highlight the novel outcomes and opportunities in the diagnosis and treatment of metabolic conditions. In addition, we present the role of miRNAs in stem cell therapy which could have great potential in regenerative medicine.

MicroRNA（miRNA）是小的非编码RNA，在翻译后水平上调控基因表达。基于miRNA的治疗剂之所以重要，是因为miRNA在调节脂质和葡萄糖代谢中的功能以及它们在代谢失调（如糖尿病和肥胖症）中的作用，其中失调会导致疾病；它们在血管生成中也很重要。miRNA在疾病的诊断，预后和风险评估以及监测对治疗的反应中还充当生物标记。在这里，我们简要概述了基于miRNA的治疗方法在临床前和临床中的进展，并重点介绍了代谢状况的诊断和治疗中的新成果和新机遇。此外，