MIR22HG in the pathogenic mechanisms of Oligoarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: effects of its targeting

This project has been funded thanks to the Joint Call Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione Telethon 2021

Oligoarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (OJIA) is a rare pediatric chronic inflammatory arthritis (prevalence 1- 5/10000) whose causes remain mostly unknown and which can lead to structural joint damage and functional impairment with consequent patient long-term disability. There are no validated biomarkers able to predict disease progression. In addition, despite significant therapeutic advances were obtained in the past decades improving patient clinical care, no treatment can achieve complete disease remission, making the development of new effective therapies mandatory. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms mediating OJIA development and progression may yield new early biomarkers and molecular targets for tailored therapies. Recently, a role for the MIR22HG molecule in the development/progression of adult arthritides and potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target in these diseases were suggested. However, studies on MIR22HG in OJIA are lacking. This proposal aims at investigating whether MIR22HG is expressed in cells derived from the blood and joints of newly diagnosed OJIA patients, contributes to inflammation and joint damage, and may represent a molecular marker of early disease diagnosis and progression and/or a target for therapeutic intervention. Results from this project will advance our scientific knowledge of OJIA contributing to the elucidation of molecular aspects of its pathogenesis and may have translational relevance providing information potentially useful for the design of new targeted therapies which will hopefully improve patient management.