Even with our current understanding of molecular mechanisms, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world, underscoring the dire need for new therapeutic strategies. microRNA (miRNA) science represents the newest and most innovative approach to gene regulation to manage CVD.

In fact, miRNA function in cardiovascular and muscle disease was not recognized until 2006 (van Rooij et al., Pro. Natl. Acad. Sci., 2006) and our recent studies have unveiled a powerful and unexpected role for miRNAs in these diseases. Our rapidly expanding knowledge points to miRNA’s key involvement in heart disease, vascular disorders and muscle disease. Based on this scientific knowledge and our unique miRNA expertise, miRagen believes that regulating miRNA levels in vivo will translate clinically towards creating innovative miRNA-based therapeutics.