What is miR-146?

miR-146 is a family of microRNA precursors found in mammals, including humans. The ~22 nucleotide mature miRNA sequence is excised from the precursor hairpin by the enzyme Dicer. This sequence then associates with RISC which effects RNA interference.

miR-146 is primarily involved in the regulation of inflammation and other process that function in the innate immune system. Loss of functional miR-146 could predispose an individual to suffer from chromosome 5q deletion syndrome. miR-146 has also been reported to be highly upregulated in osteoarthritis cartilage, and could be involved in its pathogenesis. mir-146 expression is associated with survival in triple negative breast cancer.