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Published on: January 22, 2019

MiR-21 is up-regulated in psoriasis and suppresses T cell apoptosis

Florian Meisgen, Ning Xu, Tianling Wei

    Experimental Dermatology
    |March 16, 2012
    PubMed

    Insights

    MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is elevated in psoriasis. Inhibiting miR-21 in T cells increases apoptosis, suggesting miR-21 promotes T cell survival in skin inflammation.

    Area of Science:

    • Immunology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Dermatology

    Background:

    • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression.
    • Genome-wide screening revealed miRNA deregulation in psoriasis skin.
    • MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is significantly upregulated in psoriatic lesions.

    Discussion:

    • miR-21 is elevated in both epidermal and dermal T cells in psoriasis.
    • T cell activation markedly increases miR-21 expression.
    • Inhibition of miR-21 in activated T cells leads to increased apoptosis.

    Key Insights:

    • miR-21 suppresses apoptosis in activated human T helper cells.
    • Overexpression of miR-21 may contribute to T cell-driven psoriatic inflammation.

    Outlook:

    • Targeting miR-21 could be a therapeutic strategy for psoriasis.
    • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of miR-21 in T cell function and skin inflammation.

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