Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A MicroRNA-Centric Approach

Abstract Background Vasculopathy associated with diabetic neuropathy is a significant risk factor for the development of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). DFUs are a severe complication that occurs in approximately 15% of diabetic individuals, potentially requiring hospitalization and amputation for treatment. Objective To design in silico the molecular structures of microRNAs (miRNAs) overexpressed in diabetic foot ulcer healing. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search for the nucleotide sequences of eight miRNAs overexpressed in DFUs. Subsequently, the molecular structures of the following miRNAs were designed in silico: miRNA-146a, miRNA-155, miRNA-132, miRNA-191, miRNA-21, miRNA-203a, miRNA-203b, and miRNA-210. Nucleotide sequences were retrieved from GenBank, the National Center for Biotechnology Information's genetic sequence database. The acquired sequences were aligned using Clustal W multiple alignment algorithms. RNAstructure, an automated miRNA structure modeling server, was employed for the in silico modeling of the structures. Results We performed a search for the nucleotide sequences and designed the molecular structures of the following miRNAs overexpressed in diabetic foot ulcer healing: miRNA-146a, miRNA-155, miRNA-132, miRNA-191, miRNA-21, miRNA-203a, miRNA-203b, and miRNA-210. We generated a tutorial on the molecular models of these eight miRNAs overexpressed in the diabetic foot, based on in silico projections of their molecular structures. Conclusion This study demonstrates the in silico design of secondary structures for a selection of eight miRNAs overexpressed in diabetic foot ulcer healing, utilizing techniques from computational biology.