Elena Perla, Faiza Abbas, Luigia Rossi, Mauro Magnani, Sara Biagiotti
{"title":"Red blood cells could protect miRNAs from degradation or loss thanks to Argonaute 2 binding","authors":"Elena Perla, Faiza Abbas, Luigia Rossi, Mauro Magnani, Sara Biagiotti","doi":"10.1002/2211-5463.70005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Red blood cells (RBCs) have emerged as reservoirs of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the circulatory system, challenging the traditional view of their nucleic acid absence. This study investigates the miRNA profiles and stability of both native and engineered RBCs. We demonstrate that RBCs are rich in miRNAs, which remain stable under physiological conditions, likely due to their association with Ago2, a key RNA-binding protein. The stability and retention of miRNAs persist even after hypotonic dialysis used for RBC engineering. These findings underline the potential of RBCs as miRNA carriers for therapeutic applications and as a foundation for RNA-based delivery systems. Such advancements could redefine their role in transfusion medicine and advanced RNA therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12187,"journal":{"name":"FEBS Open Bio","volume":"15 5","pages":"810-821"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/2211-5463.70005","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"FEBS Open Bio","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2211-5463.70005","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) have emerged as reservoirs of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the circulatory system, challenging the traditional view of their nucleic acid absence. This study investigates the miRNA profiles and stability of both native and engineered RBCs. We demonstrate that RBCs are rich in miRNAs, which remain stable under physiological conditions, likely due to their association with Ago2, a key RNA-binding protein. The stability and retention of miRNAs persist even after hypotonic dialysis used for RBC engineering. These findings underline the potential of RBCs as miRNA carriers for therapeutic applications and as a foundation for RNA-based delivery systems. Such advancements could redefine their role in transfusion medicine and advanced RNA therapies.
期刊介绍:
FEBS Open Bio is an online-only open access journal for the rapid publication of research articles in molecular and cellular life sciences in both health and disease. The journal''s peer review process focuses on the technical soundness of papers, leaving the assessment of their impact and importance to the scientific community.
FEBS Open Bio is owned by the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), a not-for-profit organization, and is published on behalf of FEBS by FEBS Press and Wiley. Any income from the journal will be used to support scientists through fellowships, courses, travel grants, prizes and other FEBS initiatives.