The emerging role of microRNA in regulation of endotoxin tolerance

Endotoxin tolerance is a phenomenon where cells show reduced responsiveness toward repeated endotoxin stimulation. Regulation of tolerance occurs at multiple levels of the cell signaling cascade, and many of these levels are potentially regulated by miRNA, which are a class of small RNA that bind to mRNA to down-regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Roles have been identified for miR-146a, miR-221, miR-579, miR-125b, miR-155, let-7e, and miR-98 in regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway during the development of endotoxin tolerance at receptor, signaling pathway, and gene transcription and translational levels. miRNA represent exciting, new potential targets in attempts to exogenously modulate development of endotoxin tolerance. J. Leukoc. Biol. 91: 721-727; 2012.