First Author | Guinea-Viniegra J | Year | 2014 |
Journal | Sci Transl Med | Volume | 6 |
Issue | 225 | Pages | 225re1 |
PubMed ID | 24574341 | Mgi Jnum | J:213674 |
Mgi Id | MGI:5585565 | Doi | 10.1126/scitranslmed.3008089 |
Citation | Guinea-Viniegra J, et al. (2014) Targeting miR-21 to treat psoriasis. Sci Transl Med 6(225):225re1 |
abstractText | Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease with limited treatment options that is characterized by a complex interplay between keratinocytes, immune cells, and inflammatory mediators. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulators of gene expression and play critical roles in many human diseases. A number of miRNAs have been described to be up-regulated in psoriasis, but their causal contribution to disease development has not been demonstrated. We confirm that miR-21 expression is increased in epidermal lesions of patients with psoriasis and that this leads to reduced epidermal TIMP-3 (tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 3) expression and activation of TACE (tumor necrosis factor-alpha-converting enzyme)/ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17). Using patient-derived skin samples and mouse models of psoriasis, we demonstrate that increased miR-21 may be a consequence of impaired transcriptional activity of Jun/activating protein 1 (AP-1), leading to activation of the interleukin-6 (IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) pathway. Inhibition of miR-21 by locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified anti-miR-21 compounds ameliorated disease pathology in patient-derived psoriatic skin xenotransplants in mice and in a psoriasis-like mouse model. Targeting miR-21 may represent a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of psoriasis. |