Progressive functional deterioration and loss of neurons underlies neurological diseases and constitutes an important cause of disability and death worldwide. The causes of various types of neurological diseases often share several critical nerve-related cellular mechanisms and pathological features, particularly the neuroinflammatory response in the nervous system. A rapidly growing body of evidence indicates that various microRNAs play pivotal roles in these processes in neurological diseases and might be viable therapeutic targets. Among these microRNAs, microRNA-146a (miR-146a) stands out due to the rapid increase in recent literature on its mechanistic involvement in neurological diseases. In this review, we summarize and highlight the critical role of miR-146a in neurological diseases. MiR-146a polymorphisms are associated with the risk of neurological disease. Alterations in miR-146a expression levels are crucial events in the pathogenesis of numerous neurological diseases that are spatially and temporally diverse. Additionally, the target genes of miR-146a are involved in the regulation of pathophysiological processes in neurological diseases, particularly the neuroinflammatory response. In summary, miR-146a mainly plays a critical role in neuroinflammation during the progression of neurological diseases and might be a prospective biomarker and therapeutic target. Understanding the mechanisms by which miR-146a affects the neuroinflammatory response in different neurological injuries, different cell types, and even different stages of certain neurological diseases will pave the way for its use as a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases.

神经元的进行性功能恶化和丧失是神经系统疾病的基础，并构成了全世界残疾和死亡的重要原因。各种类型的神经系统疾病的病因通常共享一些与神经相关的关键细胞机制和病理特征，尤其是神经系统中的神经炎症反应。迅速增长的证据表明，各种microRNA在神经疾病的这些过程中起着关键作用，并且可能是可行的治疗靶标。在这些microRNA中，由于最近有关其涉及神经疾病的机制的文献迅速增加，microRNA-146a（miR-146a）脱颖而出。在这篇综述中，我们总结并强调了miR-146a在神经系统疾病中的关键作用。MiR-146a多态性与神经系统疾病的风险有关。miR-146a表达水平的改变是许多时空不同的神经系统疾病的发病机制中的关键事件。此外，miR-146a的靶基因参与神经疾病，特别是神经炎症反应的病理生理过程的调控。综上所述，miR-146a在神经疾病发展过程中主要在神经炎症中起关键作用，并且可能是潜在的生物标志物和治疗靶标。了解miR-146a影响不同神经系统损伤，不同细胞类型的神经炎症反应的机制，