Exploring a Role for Regulatory miRNAs In Wound Healing during Ageing:Involvement of miR-200c in wound repair

Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 12;7(1):3257. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03331-6.

Abstract

Multiple factors and conditions can lead to impaired wound healing. Chronic non-healing wounds are a common problem among the elderly. To identify microRNAs negatively impacting the wound repair, global miRNA profiling of wounds collected from young and old mice was performed. A subset of miRNAs that exhibited an age-dependent expression pattern during wound closure was identified, including miR-31 and miR-200c. The expression of miR-200 family members was markedly downregulated upon wounding in both young and aged mice, with an exception of acute upregulation of miR-200c at the early phase of wound healing in aged skin. In unwounded aged skin (versus unwounded younger skin), the level of miR-200c was also found elevated in both human and mice. Overexpression of miR-200c in human ex vivo wounds delayed re-epithelialisation and inhibited cell proliferation in the wound epithelium. Modulation of miR-200c expression in both human and mouse keratinocytes in vitro revealed inhibitory effects of miR-200c on migration, but not proliferation. Accelerated wound closure in vitro induced by anti-miR-200c was associated with upregulation of genes controlling cell migration. Thus, our study identified miR-200c as a critical determinant that inhibits cell migration during skin repair after injury and may contribute to age-associated alterations in wound repair.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Keratinocytes / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Re-Epithelialization
  • Skin / injuries
  • Skin Aging
  • Wound Healing / physiology*
  • Wounds and Injuries / metabolism

Substances

  • MicroRNAs