MicroRNA Regulatory Networks in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease: Mechanisms from Steatosis and Inflammation to Fibrosis.

Authors

Du Shihao, Yuan Dongqin, Liu Qianqian, Ge Jianing, Li Zhijun

Published in

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. Issue 236. Oct 16, 2026. Epub Oct 16, 2026.

Abstract

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide and progresses through steatosis, alcohol-associated hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are established post-transcriptional regulators whose roles in ALD-associated signaling networks have been increasingly characterized. Recent high-throughput sequencing and functional studies have revealed dual regulatory roles of miRNA families, such as miR-122, miR-155, and miR-21, at different disease stages. However, most studies have focused on individual miRNAs, and network-level cooperative regulation and clinical translation remain underexplored. This narrative review examines the molecular mechanisms of miRNAs in alcohol-induced steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, with a particular focus on network-level cooperative regulation. Key findings indicate that miRNAs function as stage-specific and cell-type-specific regulators, with miR-122, miR-155, miR-21, miR-29, and miR-34a acting as central network nodes. These insights provide a framework for the identification of early diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in ALD.

PMID:
42891588
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Oct 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.