Carolina Gaudenzi, Tiziana Schioppa, Mauro Passari, Giovanni Zucchi, Laura Tiberio, Yasmin Vahidi, Sara Scutera, Tiziana Musso, Silvano Sozzani, Annalisa Del Prete, Valentina Salvi, Daniela Bosisio
OBJECTIVES: Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) are key players in the induction of inflammation, autoreactive T cell activation and loss of tolerance in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the precise mechanisms underlying their activation remain elusive. Here, we hypothesized that extracellular microRNAs released in RA synovial fluids may represent a novel, physiological stimulus triggering unwanted immune response via TLR8-expressing DC stimulation. METHODS: Human monocyte-derived DCs were stimulated with a mixture of GU-rich miRNAs upregulated in RA tissues and released in synovial fluids (Ex-miRNAs)...
March 4, 2024: Journal of Autoimmunity