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A recent study investigating the role of the ceRNA mechanism in promoting systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) activity found that circETS1 inhibits Treg through the miR-1205/FoxP3 axis, highlighting its potential as a new therapeutic target for SLE treatment.
This study aimed to explore the mechanism by which systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) activity is promoted through Treg inhibition from the perspective of ceRNA.
qRT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of circETS1, miR-1205, and FoxP3 in clinical SLE patient samples. Overexpression of circETS1and miR-1205, along with knockdown of miR-1205 and FoxP3 were conducted in CD4 T cells, while the proliferation of helper T cell 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cell (Treg) was detected. Arescue assay was performed to verify the molecular mechanism of circETS1/miR-1205/Foxp3 mRNA axis in regulating CD4 T cell differentiation. In the in vivo experiment, the expression of miR-1205 in SLE mice was intervened, and renal function, inflammatory factors, and serum complement were measured. Additionally, Treg/Th17 cell ratio was detected by flow cytometry.
In SLE patients, Treg cells were found to decrease, while Th17 cells increased. Transfection with circETS1 overexpression led to CD4 T cells differentiating into Treg cells, causing an imbalance in the Th17/Treg ratio. Transfection of miR-1205 mimic and si-FoxP3 could reverse the effect of circETS1 overexpression. Moreover, inhibiting the expression of miR-1205 showed therapeutic effects on SLE mice.
circETS1 inhibits Treg via the miR-1205/FoxP3 axis, thereby promoting SLE activity, which may become a new target for SLE treatment.
Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
