Table 1.

Advantages and drawbacks of miRNA gain-of-function technologies.

Technology	Advantages	Drawbacks
miRNA mimics	Convenient; time saving	Expensive; non-specific effect; difficult to introduce into neurons, toxicity
miRNA precursors	flexible for in vitro and in vivo studies	Unpredicted processing efficiency; vector-based side effect; toxicity for mass overexpression; non-specific effect
miRNA biogenesis enhancement	Small molecules, easy to administrate; upregulating multiple miRNAs simultaneously	Unknown tissue distribution; unclear mechanisms; low miRNA specificity