Pro-inflammatory cytokine and immune-related gene mRNA transcripts

Pro-inflammatory cytokine and immune-related gene mRNA transcripts are the messenger RNA molecules that encode key signaling proteins of the immune system, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (Dinarello, 2000). These transcripts are critical regulators of the inflammatory response, and their abundance is controlled through a combination of transcriptional initiation and post-transcriptional mechanisms, including mRNA stability and decay mediated by AU-rich elements (AREs) (Anderson, 2008). In conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), these mRNAs are often overexpressed or pathologically stabilized, leading to excessive production of inflammatory proteins (Fajgenbaum & June, 2020). Therapeutic targeting of these transcripts can be achieved through broad-spectrum transcriptional inhibitors like glucocorticoids or through sequence-specific technologies such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) (Crooke et al., 2018). By reducing the levels of these mRNA templates, these therapies aim to dampen the cytokine storm and restore immune homeostasis, though they carry risks of systemic immunosuppression and off-target effects (Khabar, 2017).

Other names

Cytokine mRNAsInflammatory gene transcriptsImmune-related messenger RNAsPro-inflammatory transcripts

Inhibition of gene transcription, induction of sequence-specific mRNA degradation via the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), or non-specific degradation through RNase recruitment (Crooke et al., 2018; Anderson, 2008).