Micro RNA: An Epigenetic Regulator of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is a complex disease with multifactorial pathogenesis. The interplay between genes and lifestyle changes complicates the etiology of the disease. In spite of growing number of attempts to unravel the mechanism of this metabolic disease, the molecular nature of type 2 Diabetes is not fully understood. The discovery of a new class of non-coding RNAs, micro RNAs and their role in regulation of gene expression have paved the way for better understanding of disease pathogenesis. Increasing number of evidences suggest crucial role of miRNAs in insulin resistance and β cell dysfunction, which are the two main features of type 2 Diabetes. This review summarizes the role of miRNA in elicitation and progression of type 2 Diabetes. Keywords: β cell, biomarker, ER stress, insulin resistivity.