4.1.5. miR-1307-3p
miR-1307 has previously been shown to be one of the lung-tissue-associated miRs [94] and was reported as an especially important target in lung development in newborns. Expression of mir-1307-3p has furthermore been linked to acid metabolism in response to aspirin in human cardiac and peri-cardiac fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) [95]. Moreover, it was shown that several miRs, including miR-1307-3p, are involved in TGF-β and semaphorin signalling, as well as inflammatory responses. miRs play an important role, especially during lung morphogenesis in the early stages of development. Interestingly, miR-1307 has been associated with the severity of pulmonary hypertension in systemic scleroderma [96]. Persistent problems with SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, such as oxygen dependency, urgent need for mechanical ventilation, persistent wheezing, and increased risk for pulmonary infections correlate with involvement of miR-1307-3p, as indicated above, due to its role in pulmonary hypertension and chronic lung diseases. The TGF-β superfamily plays critical roles in pre- and postnatal lung development, importantly shaping alveolarisation and controlling the extracellular matrix composition and tissue homeostasis, among other functions. TGF-β signalling is therefore strongly linked to both pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases [97,98,99].