Dietary Modulation of microRNAs as a Potential Nutritional Strategy in Inflammatory and Autoimmune Skin Diseases: A...

Inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa present significant therapeutic challenges due to their complex immunological and environmental pathogenesis. This review highlights the critical role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as epigenetic regulators of inflammatory processes and investigates the potential of nutrigenomics to modulate their expression. Bioactive dietary components-including polyphenols such as quercetin, resveratrol, and curcumin, alongside vitamins C and D, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids-demonstrate the ability to alter miRNA profiles like miR-21, miR-146a, and miR-155. These miRNA alterations may contribute to the regulation of key inflammatory pathways, including nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), thereby potentially influencing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and keratinocyte proliferation. However, the extent to which individual dietary compounds directly mediate effects on these pathways through miRNA regulation varies and is often supported mainly by preclinical evidence. Clinical data suggests that dietary interventions, such as weight loss and the Mediterranean diet alleviate skin symptoms and lower systemic inflammatory markers. Identifying disease-specific miRNA expression profiles represents an emerging research avenue that may, following analytical and clinical validation, inform future approaches in dermatology.