Researchers from the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, the Shenzhen University School of Medicine, and the Guangzhou Medical University, all in China, have shown that microRNA-146a (miRNA-146a) from epithelial-cell-derived exosomes can induce the expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in monocytes. The IL-10-producing monocytes are then capable of suppressing effector T cell (Teff) activities and inhibiting the skewed T helper 2 (Th2) polarization in the nasal mucosa in a mouse model of allergic retinitis. The researchers noted that, while it is well known skewed Th2 polarization plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, such a pathological condition has proven refractory to correction. In their new publication, however, the Chinese scientists conclude that their present data “indicate that miR-146a can induce IL-10-producing monocytes to suppress the skewed Th2 polarization, suggesting that miR-146a has potential in the treatment of allergic disorders, such as allergic rhinitis.” This work was published online on November 3, 2015 in an open-access article in Scientific Reports. The article is titled “Epithelial Cell-Derived Micro RNA-146a Generates Interleukin-10-Producing Monocytes to Inhibit Nasal Allergy.” In further detail, the authors write that their results suggest that human nasal epithelial cells produce miR-146a, which can be up-regulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and suppressed by Th2 cytokines. The miR-146a can be released from nasal epithelial cells to the microenvironment, carried in exosomes.
[Scientific Reports article]
Login Or Register To Read Full Story