Atopy, rhinitis, asthma, common causes found...Allergic Cues Discovered miR4497

Apr 23, 2025

Atopy, rhinitis, asthma, common causes found...Allergic Cues Discovered miR4497
miR-4497 schematic diagram showing potential as a non-invasive biomarker by regulating allergic reactions.



A research team at Korea University Medical School discovered a gene-regulating substance called 'miR-4497', which was commonly reduced in atopic dermatitis, rhinitis, and asthma, and revealed clues to allergy treatment.

Professor Lee Joo-sung and Yoo Young of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents at Korea University School of Medicine and Professor Yoon Won-seok of the Institute of Allergy and Immunization (Director of the Health Impact Assessment Project for Indoor Air Biological Hazardous Factors) discovered 'miR-4497', a microRNA that has decreased in all major childhood allergic diseases. This RNA is a very small molecule that regulates genetic action in the body and has been shown to play an important role in reducing allergic inflammation.

The research team analyzed microRNA expression by collecting serum samples from a total of 68 allergic patients (42 atopic dermatitis, 13 allergic rhinitis, 13 asthma) and 10 health controls among pediatric patients at Korea University Anam Hospital. The results revealed that microRNAs called 'miR-4497' were noticeably reduced in all three diseases in common.




As a result of injecting miR-4497 through animal models and cell experiments, it was confirmed that the allergic inflammation-inducing substances IL-4, macrophage-derived chemokines (MDC), and bronchial resistance were significantly reduced. In particular, miR-4497 showed the function of controlling allergic inflammation by inhibiting Th2 immune response.

`miR-4497 is a new biomarker that has not been known before, and is an important clue to explain the common molecular mechanisms of allergic diseases,' said You Young, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Medicine. `It is a non-invasive method that can be easily measured through serum, and is very likely to be used as a target for diagnosis or treatment in the future.' In addition, "We plan to expand the clinical applicability of miR-4497 through multi-faceted follow-up studies considering race, age, and severity in the future."

On the other hand, the study was conducted with the support of the Korea Research Foundation (NRF) and the Korea Institute of Environmental Industry and Technology (KEITI) under the Ministry of Environment, and the results of the study were recently published in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology' under the title MicroRNA-4497 is downregulated in childhood allergic diseases and suppresses Th2 inflammation in animal models.




Atopy, rhinitis, asthma, common causes found...Allergic Cues Discovered miR4497
(from left) Professor Lee Ju-seong and Professor Yoo Young of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents at Korea University Medical School, Professor Won-seok Yoon of the Allergy and Immunization Research Institute.


This article was translated by Naver AI translator.