miRNAs reshape immunity and inflammatory responses in bacterial infection

Pathogenic bacteria cause various infections worldwide, especially in immunocompromised and other susceptible individuals, and are also associated with high infant mortality rates in developing countries. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs with evolutionarily conserved sequences, are expressed in various tissues and cells that play key part in various physiological and pathologic processes. Increasing evidence implies roles for miRNAs in bacterial infectious diseases by modulating inflammatory responses, cell penetration, tissue remodeling, and innate and adaptive immunity. This review highlights some recent intriguing findings, ranging from the correlation between aberrant expression of miRNAs with bacterial infection progression to their profound impact on host immune responses. Harnessing of dysregulated miRNAs in bacterial infection may be an approach to improving the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of infectious diseases.