MicroRNAs Associated with Chronic Mucus Hypersecretion in COPD Are Involved in Fibroblast-Epithelium Crosstalk.

ABSTRACT: We recently identified microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which were expressed in both airway epithelial cells and fibroblasts. We hypothesized that these miRNAs are involved in communication between fibroblasts and epithelium, contributing to airway remodeling and CMH in COPD. Primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs) differentiated at the air-liquid interface, and airway fibroblasts (PAFs) from severe COPD patients with CMH were cultured alone or together. RNA was isolated and miRNA expression assessed. miRNAs differentially expressed after co-culturing were studied functionally using overexpression with mimics in mucus-expressing human lung A549 epithelial cells or normal human lung fibroblasts. In PBEC

SUBMITTER: Tasena H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8833971 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature