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Mercuri RLV, Conceição HB, Guardia GDA, Goldstein G, Vibranovski MD, Hinske LC, Galante PAF. Retro-miRs: novel and functional miRNAs originating from mRNA retrotransposition. Mob DNA 2023; 14:12. [PMID: 37684690 PMCID: PMC10486083 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-023-00301-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reverse-transcribed gene copies (retrocopies) have emerged as major sources of evolutionary novelty. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small and highly conserved RNA molecules that serve as key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. The origin and subsequent evolution of miRNAs have been addressed but not fully elucidated. RESULTS In this study, we performed a comprehensive investigation of miRNA origination through retroduplicated mRNA sequences (retro-miRs). We identified 17 retro-miRs that emerged from the mRNA retrocopies. Four of these retro-miRs had de novo origins within retrocopied sequences, while 13 retro-miRNAs were located within exon regions and duplicated along with their host mRNAs. We found that retro-miRs were primate-specific, including five retro-miRs conserved among all primates and two human-specific retro-miRs. All retro-miRs were expressed, with predicted and experimentally validated target genes except miR-10527. Notably, the target genes of retro-miRs are involved in key biological processes such as metabolic processes, cell signaling, and regulation of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Additionally, we found that these retro-miRs play a potential oncogenic role in cancer by targeting key cancer genes and are overexpressed in several cancer types, including liver hepatocellular carcinoma and stomach adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that mRNA retrotransposition is a key mechanism for the generation of novel miRNAs (retro-miRs) in primates. These retro-miRs are expressed, conserved, have target genes with important cellular functions, and play important roles in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael L V Mercuri
- Hospital Sirio-Libanes, São Paulo, 01308-060, Brazil
- Interunidades Em Bioinformática, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Helena B Conceição
- Hospital Sirio-Libanes, São Paulo, 01308-060, Brazil
- Interunidades Em Bioinformática, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriel Goldstein
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria D Vibranovski
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Ludwig C Hinske
- Institute for Digital Medicine/Clinic of Anaesthesiology, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
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2
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Tomasi S, Li L, Hinske LC, Tomasi R, Amini M, Strauß G, Müller MB, Hirschberger S, Peterss S, Effinger D, Pogoda K, Kreth S, Hübner M. A Functional Network Driven by MicroRNA-125a Regulates Monocyte Trafficking in Acute Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810684. [PMID: 36142632 PMCID: PMC9503790 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the onset of acute inflammation, rapid trafficking of leukocytes is essential to mount appropriate immune responses towards an inflammatory insult. Monocytes are especially indispensable for counteracting the inflammatory stimulus, neutralising the noxa and reconstituting tissue homeostasis. Thus, monocyte trafficking to the inflammatory sites needs to be precisely orchestrated. In this study, we identify a regulatory network driven by miR-125a that affects monocyte adhesion and chemotaxis by the direct targeting of two adhesion molecules, i.e., junction adhesion molecule A (JAM-A), junction adhesion molecule-like (JAM-L) and the chemotaxis-mediating chemokine receptor CCR2. By investigating monocytes isolated from patients undergoing cardiac surgery, we found that acute yet sterile inflammation reduces miR-125a levels, concomitantly enhancing the expression of JAM-A, JAM-L and CCR2. In contrast, TLR-4-specific stimulation with the pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) LPS, usually present within the perivascular inflamed area, resulted in dramatically induced levels of miR-125a with concomitant repression of JAM-A, JAM-L and CCR2 as early as 3.5 h. Our study identifies miR-125a as an important regulator of monocyte trafficking and shows that the phenotype of human monocytes is strongly influenced by this miRNA, depending on the type of inflammatory stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Tomasi
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lei Li
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ludwig Christian Hinske
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Institute for Digital Medicine, University Hospital Augsburg, Stenglinstrasse 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Roland Tomasi
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Martina Amini
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Gabriele Strauß
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Bernhard Müller
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Hirschberger
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sven Peterss
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - David Effinger
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Kristin Pogoda
- Physiology, Institute for Theoretical Medicine, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Simone Kreth
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Max Hübner
- Walter Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine (WBex), Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Unit Molecular Medicine, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University München (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence:
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3
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Hawkins S, Namboori SC, Tariq A, Blaker C, Flaxman C, Dey NS, Henley P, Randall A, Rosa A, Stanton LW, Bhinge A. Upregulation of β-catenin due to loss of miR-139 contributes to motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1650-1665. [PMID: 35750046 PMCID: PMC9287677 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of motor neurons (MNs). There are no effective treatments and patients usually die within 2-5 years of diagnosis. Emerging commonalities between familial and sporadic cases of this complex multifactorial disorder include disruption to RNA processing and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies containing TDP-43 and/or FUS protein aggregates. Both TDP-43 and FUS have been implicated in RNA processing functions, including microRNA biogenesis, transcription, and splicing. In this study, we explore the misexpression of microRNAs in an iPSC-based disease model of FUS ALS. We identify the downregulation of miR-139, an MN-enriched microRNA, in FUS and sporadic ALS MN. We discover that miR-139 downregulation leads to the activation of canonical WNT signaling and demonstrate that the WNT transcriptional mediator β-catenin is a major driver of MN degeneration in ALS. Our results highlight the importance of homeostatic RNA networks in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Hawkins
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Seema C Namboori
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Ammarah Tariq
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Catherine Blaker
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Christine Flaxman
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Nidhi S Dey
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Peter Henley
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Andrew Randall
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Lawrence W Stanton
- Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Akshay Bhinge
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
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Hübner M, Moellhoff N, Effinger D, Hinske CL, Hirschberger S, Wu T, Müller MB, Strauß G, Kreth FW, Kreth S. MicroRNA-93 acts as an "anti-inflammatory tumor suppressor" in glioblastoma. Neurooncol Adv 2020; 2:vdaa047. [PMID: 32642700 PMCID: PMC7282490 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaa047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Inflammation is an important driver of malignant glioma disease. Inflammatory mediators are not only produced by immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, but also by glioblastoma (GBM) cells themselves creating a mutually reinforcing loop. We here aimed at identifying an “anti-inflammatory switch” that allows to dampen inflammation in GBM. Methods We used human GBM specimens, primary cultures, and cell lines. The response of GBM cells toward inflammatory stimuli was tested by incubation with supernatant of stimulated human immune cells. Expression levels were measured by whole transcriptome microarrays and qRT-PCR, and protein was quantified by LUMINEX and SDS-PAGE. MicroRNA binding to 3′UTRs was analyzed by luciferase assays. Proliferation rates were determined by flow cytometry, and invasion and angiogenesis were studied using migration and endothelial tube formation assays. Results We demonstrated GBM cells to secrete high amounts of proinflammatory mediators in an inflammatory microenvironment. We found miR-93 as a potential “anti-inflammatory tumor suppressor” dramatically downregulated in GBM. Concordantly, cytokine secretion dropped after miR-93 re-expression. Transfection of miR-93 in GBM cells led to down-regulation of hubs of the inflammatory networks, namely, HIF-1α and MAP3K2 as well as IL-6, G-CSF, IL-8, LIF, IL-1β, COX2, and CXCL5. We showed only COX2 and CXCL5 to be indirectly regulated by miR-93 while all other genes are true targets. Phenotypically, re-expression of miR-93 in GBM cells substantially suppressed proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. Conclusions Alleviating GBM-derived inflammation by re-expression of miR-93 may be a powerful tool to mitigate these tumors’ aggressiveness and holds promise for new clinical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Hübner
- Walter-Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicholas Moellhoff
- Division of Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - David Effinger
- Walter-Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Simon Hirschberger
- Walter-Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tingting Wu
- Walter-Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Bernhard Müller
- Walter-Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gabriele Strauß
- Walter-Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Simone Kreth
- Walter-Brendel Center of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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Heidary Z, Zaki-Dizaji M, Saliminejad K, Edalatkhah H, Khorram Khorshid HR. MiR-4485-3p expression reduced in spermatozoa of men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia. Andrologia 2020; 52:e13539. [PMID: 32030798 DOI: 10.1111/and.13539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthenozoospermia (AZS), which characterised by reduced forward sperm motility, is a common cause of male infertility. Recently, mitochondrial dysfunction reported in AZS men came to attention for finding the molecular aetiology of AZS. Mitochondria-related microRNAs (miRNAs) are the most important regulators of mitochondrial function through post-transcriptionally modulation of gene expression. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the expression of four recently reported mitochondrial-related miRNAs (miR-4485-3p/4484/4461 and 4463) in the sperm sample of asthenozoospermic men. RNA was extracted from spermatozoa of 74 volunteers (39 patients with idiopathic AZS and 35 controls with normal fertility), and relative gene expression analysis was performed by quantitative PCR. We used SNORD48 as a normaliser gene, and quantification was calculated by 2-ΔΔCt method. The expression of miR-4484 and miR-4461 was not detected in the spermatozoa of cases and controls. However, miR-4485-3p (p = .006) was significantly downregulated in the AZS men compared with the controls, but the miR-4463 expression was not significantly different between the two groups (p = .5). Bioinformatic analysis identified three target genes for miR-4485-3p (DNAH1, KIT and PARK7) that are related to male infertility. In conclusion, the downregulation of miR-4485-3p was associated with idiopathic AZS, which could be a molecular link between mitochondrial dysfunction and AZS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Heidary
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Zaki-Dizaji
- Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kioomars Saliminejad
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haleh Edalatkhah
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Khorram Khorshid
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.,Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Zeidler M, Hüttenhofer A, Kress M, Kummer KK. Intragenic MicroRNAs Autoregulate Their Host Genes in Both Direct and Indirect Ways-A Cross-Species Analysis. Cells 2020; 9:cells9010232. [PMID: 31963421 PMCID: PMC7016697 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as master switches for post-transcriptional gene expression. Their genes are either located in the extragenic space or within host genes, but these intragenic miRNA::host gene interactions are largely enigmatic. The aim of this study was to investigate the location and co-regulation of all to date available miRNA sequences and their host genes in an unbiased computational approach. The majority of miRNAs were located within intronic regions of protein-coding and non-coding genes. These intragenic miRNAs exhibited both increased target probability as well as higher target prediction scores as compared to a model of randomly permutated genes. This was associated with a higher number of miRNA recognition elements for the hosted miRNAs within their host genes. In addition, strong indirect autoregulation of host genes through modulation of functionally connected gene clusters by intragenic miRNAs was demonstrated. In addition to direct miRNA-to-host gene targeting, intragenic miRNAs also appeared to interact with functionally related genes, thus affecting their host gene function through an indirect autoregulatory mechanism. This strongly argues for the biological relevance of autoregulation not only for the host genes themselves but, more importantly, for the entire gene cluster interacting with the host gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Zeidler
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Hüttenhofer
- Institute of Genomics and RNomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kai K. Kummer
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-650-970-0514; Fax: +43-512-9003-73800
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Intronic miR-744 Inhibits Glioblastoma Migration by Functionally Antagonizing Its Host Gene MAP2K4. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10110400. [PMID: 30366472 PMCID: PMC6266622 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10110400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The second intron of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 4 (MAP2K4), an important hub in the pro-invasive MAPK pathway, harbors miR-744. There is accumulating evidence that intronic micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are capable of either supporting or restraining functional pathways of their host genes, thereby creating intricate regulative networks. We thus hypothesized that miR-744 regulates glioma migration by interacting with its host’s pathways. Methods: Patients’ tumor specimens were obtained stereotactically. MiR-744 was overexpressed in U87, T98G, and primary glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines. Cell mobility was studied using migration and Boyden chamber assays. Protein and mRNA expression was quantified by SDS-PAGE and qRT-PCR. Interactions of miR-744 and 3’UTRs were analyzed by luciferase reporter assays, and SMAD2/3, p38, and beta-Catenin activities by TOP/FOPflash reporter gene assays. Results: As compared to a normal brain, miR-744 levels were dramatically decreased in GBM samples and in primary GBM cell lines. Astrocytoma WHO grade II/III exhibited intermediate expression levels. Re-expression of miR-744 in U87, T98G, and primary GBM cell lines induced focal growth and impaired cell mobility. Luciferase activity of 3’UTR reporter constructs revealed the pro-invasive factors TGFB1 and DVL2 as direct targets of miR-744. Re-expression of miR-744 reduced levels of TGFB1, DVL2, and the host MAP2K4, and mitigated activity of TGFB1 and DVL2 downstream targets SMAD2/3 and beta-Catenin. TGFB1 knock-down repressed MAP2K4 expression. Conclusion: MiR-744 acts as an intrinsic brake on its host. It impedes MAP2K4 functional pathways through simultaneously targeting SMAD-, beta-Catenin, and MAPK signaling networks, thereby strongly mitigating pro-migratory effects of MAP2K4. MiR-744 is strongly repressed in glioma, and its re-expression might attenuate tumor invasiveness.
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Hirschberger S, Hinske LC, Kreth S. MiRNAs: dynamic regulators of immune cell functions in inflammation and cancer. Cancer Lett 2018; 431:11-21. [PMID: 29800684 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNA molecules, have emerged as important regulators of almost all cellular processes. By binding to specific sequence motifs within the 3'- untranslated region of their target mRNAs, they induce either mRNA degradation or translational repression. In the human immune system, potent miRNAs and miRNA-clusters have been discovered, that exert pivotal roles in the regulation of gene expression. By targeting cellular signaling hubs, these so-called immuno-miRs have fundamental regulative impact on both innate and adaptive immune cells in health and disease. Importantly, they also act as mediators of tumor immune escape. Secreted by cancer cells and consecutively taken up by immune cells, immuno-miRs are capable to influence immune functions towards a blunted anti-tumor response, thus shaping a permissive tumor environment. This review provides an overview of immuno-miRs and their functional impact on individual immune cell entities. Further, implications of immuno-miRs in the amelioration of tumor surveillance are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Hirschberger
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany; Walter-Brendel-Center of Experimental Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany
| | | | - Simone Kreth
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany; Walter-Brendel-Center of Experimental Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany.
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