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The present study on the basis of a detailed bioinformatics analysis proposed a potential role of a miRNA, hsa-miR-19b-2-5p, in regulating the mitochondrial biogenesis. The miRNA has shown to be involved in important biological processes of cellular metabolic, cellular macromolecule biosynthetic processes and gene expression pathways. The miRNA, hsa-miR-19b-2-5p, was predicted to regulate the molecular function of nucleic acid, organic/heterocyclic compound, nucleic acid binding transcription factor activity. The pathway enrichment analysis suggested that this miRNA participated in several metabolic pathways which could be a key to the regulation of the mitochondrial gene expression and biogenesis. In addition, this miRNA targets a total of 112 mitochondria-related genes, establishing further the crucial role of the candidate miRNA in mitochondrial biology.

Involvement of a genetic component in the phenomenon of aging has been evidenced through tinkering with the gene(s) or genomic elements and manipulating life span of experimental organisms, which understandably is further influenced by a multitude of other nongenetic factors. Genomic studies related to aging till date on experimental model organisms have suggested the involvement of several pathways and candidates in the process. Studies in different syndromes or diseases associated with premature aging, involving either single or a set of genes, have added to the notion that life span has a genetic component and certain genetic diseases enhance the process of aging. Understanding the mechanism of these genetic components and the pathways suggests that the intervention at such levels would check the process of premature aging and enhance healthy life span.

MicroRNAs the small (18–22 in length) noncoding RNA molecules are negative regulators of gene expression, modulating biological processes of cell differentiation, survival and death. The latter two phenomena are critical in tumour biology. We provide here the results of human genome wide target prediction of one such microRNA, hsa-miR-24-2, shown to target genes essential for initiating cellular stability and cell survival. The protein–protein interaction study showed important nodes which could affect cell cycle progression and differential oncogenesis. An analysis of hsa-miR-24-2 in sporadic breast tumours showed a negative correlation with metastasis and increasing nodes. The conclusion drawn of hsa-miR-24-2 targeting the genes of cell survival correlated with the methylation profile and resultant transcription factor binding site gain or loss in support of absence of cell survival. In order to accentuate the potential of hsa-miR-24-2 to reduce cellular viability under experimental conditions, in vitro studies in the presence and absence of anti-cancer drugs, such as docetaxel resulted in a significant decrease in cellular viability even at a 200-fold reduced dose of the drug in combination with hsa-miR-24-2.