**11. miRNAs as therapeutics**

Both the overexpression and inhibition of miRNA can be exploited for the development of potential therapeutics. miRNA sponges, Anti-miRNAs and miRNA masks are few strategies for the suppression of intracellular miRNAs. Anti-miRNAs are the miRNA inhibitors which are constructed as complementary to miRNA sequences. They prohibit the binding of miRNAs to the mRNA targets and relieve the gene suppression phenotype. Anti-miRNAs are specific in action as they are custom synthesized as entirely complementary to naturally existing miRNAs [85]. While, delivery of miRNA is achieved with the help of miRNA mimics, that imitates the sequence and action of miRNAs in the in vitro or in vivo systems. Furthermore, miRNA work as both oncogenes and tumor suppressors, thus contributes to the pathogenesis of several cancerous diseases. MiR-21 founds to be highly upregulated during breast tumors while the levels of miR-196a are significantly increased in the pancreatic cancers [86, 87]. Role of miRNAs is also evidently noticed in many other diseases viz. liver diseases, cardiac dysfunctions, renal failures, neurodegenerative diseases, etc. [88].
