Abstract
Induction of the adaptive immune system is evaluated mostly by assessment of serum antibody titers and T lymphocyte responses in peripheral blood, although T and B cell activation occurs in lymphoid tissues. In recent years, the release of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the extra-cellular environment has been exploited to assess cell functions at distance via measurement of serum miRNAs. Activated lymphocytes release a large amount of nano-sized vesicles (exosomes), containing miRNA, however there are insufficient data to determine whether this phenomenon is reflected in modulation of serum miRNAs. Interestingly, miRNA signatures of CD4+ T cell-derived exosomes are substantially different from intracellular miRNA signatures of the same cells. We have recently identified serum circulating miR-150 as a sensor of general lymphocyte activation and we strongly believe that miRNAs differentially released by specific CD4+ effector T cell subsets (Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg) may serve as serum biomarkers of their elicitation in lymphoid tissues but also in damaged tissues, potentially providing clinically relevant information about the nature of immune responses in health and disease.
Highlights
We thank Riccardo Rossi, Chiara Zingaretti, and Giuseppe Matarese for helpful discussions, and Christopher Walentas for constructive review of the manuscript
The identification of serum miRNA signatures able to directly report the differential activation state of clinically relevant lymphocytic subsets may become an innovative tool to provide pivotal information about the nature of the immune responses occurring in health and disease
These lines of enquiry should benefit the assessment of pathogenic immune response during the course of auto-immune diseases and their therapies, as well as significantly contributing to the close, rapid monitoring of clinical trials with new immune-regulatory drugs, new vaccines, and/or adjuvants, in the earlier stages of clinical development
Summary
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