The Important Role of miR-96 in Depression: New Research Progress and Future Prospects

Depression is a debilitating mental illness recognized as one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, and its exact pathogenesis remains poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length that are involved in a range of important pathophysiological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, organ development, neurological diseases, and cancer. Given that several microRNAs are specifically expressed or enriched in the brain and central nervous system, accumulating evidence indicates that miRNAs are useful biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of depression. Among various noncoding RNAs, miR-96 is one of the most studied and well-characterized, and it acts as an oncogene or tumor suppressor to regulate cell migration and tumor progression. Notably, miR-96 is associated with sevoflurane-induced memory impairment in neonatal rats. As is widely recognized, there is a clear association between memory impairment and depression, suggesting that abnormal miR-96 expression is highly likely linked to depression. In a narrative review, we summarized the research on the role of miR-96 in the progression of depression. Additionally, this review elaborated in detail on the molecular mechanisms and target genes through which miR-96 induces depression-like behaviors in mice. These preclinical findings suggest that miR-96 has potential as a candidate biomarker for depression diagnosis and prognostic evaluation, though this requires validation in large-scale clinical cohorts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to describe the research on the diagnostic value of miR-96 for depression, which can provide a reference for future clinical studies.