Treatment of human airway epithelial Calu-3 cells with a peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) targeting the microRNA miR-101-3p is associated with increased expression of the cystic fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator () gene

Since the identification of microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in regulation Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene, miRNAs known to down-regulate expression CFTR and associated proteins have been investigated as potential therapeutic targets. Here we show that miR-101-3p, targeting 3'-UTR sequence mRNA, can be selectively inhibited by a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) carrying full complementary sequence. With respect clinical relevance microRNA targeting, it is expected reduction concentration (the anti-miRNA approach) could with increasing amounts target mRNAs. Consistently this hypothesis, report PNA-mediated inhibition miR-101-3p was accompanied up-regulation. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) performed order verify effects anti-miR-101-3p PNA on Calu-3 miRNome. Upon observed fold change (FC) <2 majority (403/479, 84.13%), whereas identified list dysregulated miRNAs, suggesting specific miRNA (in our case miR-101-3p) might alteration other some them (CF), such miR-155-5p miR-125b-5p.