True grit: the role of neuronal microRNAs as mediators of stress resilience

Over the last quarter of a century, research in the field of stress resilience has provided a unique perspective of how the brain responds to stress. In particular, it sheds light on the various psychosocial, biological and external factors that determines whether an individual will either be resilient or susceptible in the face of stress. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA sequences with a major role in regulating gene expression at the transcriptional level and a growing body of evidence suggests that they may be key molecular mediators of stress resilience. In this review we argue that an increased understanding of the functional role microRNAs have in relation to various biological determinants of resilience will enable us to develop intervention strategies which could be used to promote resilience in at-risk individuals or individuals who have experienced stress. This approach may attenuate the risk of psychiatric sequelae such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders which currently have a significant economic and social burden on society.