NOS3 and cancer: For instance, miR-221/-222, in addition to their well-known role in cancer, are probably involved also in vascular and cardiac diseases since they can indirectly reduce the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and NO impairment is a feature of different cardiomyopathies [53]; moreover, gender expression disparities have been reported, with decreased expression in at least murine hearts of miR-222, leading to higher levels of eNOS [56].