miRNA-29a in systemic sclerosis: A valid target

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that contains an interplay between inflammation and fibrosis. The ultimate effector cell is the myofibroblast that secretes excessive matrix molecules leading to fibrosis. There is no treatment that modifies the disease and this is an unmet clinical need. In this issue of Autoimmunity, Jafarinejad-Farsaangi et al., demonstrate that restitution of microRNA-29a targets the apoptosis rheostat and leads to apoptosis in dermal fibroblasts, suggesting that in vivo targeting of the microRNA through mimics would lead to depletion of the fibroblasts.