Glimepiride Compared to Liraglutide Increases Plasma Levels of miR-206, miR-182-5p, and miR-766-3p in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Diabetes Metab J 2023;47:668-81)

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Diabetes Metab J. 2023;47(6):882-883

Publication date (electronic) : 2023 November 24

doi : https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2023.0355

Nikolai N. Scherbak ¹^,^*, Robert Kruse ²^,³^,^*, Thomas Nyström ⁴, Johan Jendle^,⁵

¹Life Science Center, Örebro University, School of Science and Technology, Örebro, Sweden

²Department of Clinical Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden

³Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Center (iRiSC), Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden

⁴Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

⁵School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden

Corresponding author: Johan Jendle https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1025-1682 School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, SE-70182 Örebro, Sweden E-mail: johan.jendle@oru.se

*Nikolai N. Scherbak and Robert Kruse contributed equally to this study as first authors.

We appreciate Dr. Lee’s insightful comments regarding our recently published article, titled “Glimepiride compared to liraglutide increases plasma levels of miR-206, miR-182-5p, and miR-766-3p in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial [1].” The growing body of evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [2,3]. Nevertheless, only a limited number of studies have explored variations in miRNA expression in response to glucose-lowering drugs [4].

It is crucial to recognize that the miRNAs identified in our study (miR-206, miR-182-5p, and miR-766-3p) have previously been proposed as biomarkers for various diseases apart from T2DM [5-9]. That is why it is essential to notice that the expression of these miRNAs is not solely specific to a particular disease but can also be influenced by medical treatments, such as glimepiride. Thus, investigations about the effect of glucoselowering drugs on miRNAs’ expression are of importance in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the actions of these drugs and in shaping personalized treatment strategies.

It is also important to clarify that the aim of our study was not to suggest biomarkers and therefore did not have the design needed to generalize and validate findings outside of our study population [10]. As stated in the conclusion, we see a future need to evaluate miRNAs as potential biomarkers, or biosignatures. In relation to our findings, we see a need for further research to evaluate miR-206, miR-182-5p, and miR-766-3p in the context of diagnosis, prognosis and therapy response of T2DM.

Notes

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

References

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9. Zhu L, Chen T, Ye W, Wang JY, Zhou JP, Li ZY, et al. Circulating miR-182-5p and miR-5187-5p as biomarkers for the diagnosis of unprotected left main coronary artery disease. J Thorac Dis 2019;11:1799–808.

10. FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Biomarker qualification: evidentiary framework (FDA-2018-D-4267). Available from: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/biomarker-qualification-evidentiary-framework (cited 2023 Oct 12).

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