The role of the miR‐17–92 cluster in neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the central nervous system of adults

It is well known that neurogenesis is not the only concern for the fully functional recovery after brain or spinal cord injury, as it has been shed light on the critical role of angiogenesis in improving neurological functional recovery. Angiogenesis and neurogenesis coordinately interact with each other in the developing and adult brain, during which they may respond to similar mediators and receptors, in which they share a common posttranscriptional regulator: the miR‐17–92 cluster. The miR‐17–92 cluster was initially described as an oncogene and was later demonstrated to drive key physiological and pathological responses during development and diseases respectively. It has been reported that the miR‐17–92 cluster regulates both neurogenesis and angiogenesis. The miR‐17–92 cluster modulates neural progenitor cells proliferation not only during development but also during neurological disorders such as stroke. It has also been shown that the endothelial miR‐17–92 cluster regulates angiogenesis during embryonic stage and adulthood. In this review, we have discussed the actions of the miR‐17–92 cluster in neuronal and vascular plasticity, and its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for CNS injury. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.