Is there an association between mRNA stability and autoimmune disease risk?

The genetic code for life, or DNA, contains the instructions to build proteins that help maintain the body. For the proteins to be built, they must first travel to the cytoplasm, the area where the proteins are made. This is where mRNA comes into play, in which it copies the instructions from the DNA and carries them to the cytoplasm. The more mRNA there is, the more proteins are being made.

Nevertheless, mRNA ultimately breaks down after it has done its job; however, there are times when the mRNA becomes unstable and breaks down too quickly, resulting in less protein being produced. This is due to genetic variants, where the production and stability of mRNA can be affected by a mutation in the DNA. In a study done at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), researchers examined the impact of mRNA stability on autoimmune disease risk. 

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To see if a gene is being regulated through changes in mRNA production or in mRNA stability, the UCLA research team created a tool called RNAtracker. Using this tracker and datasets of 16 human cell lines, the researchers were able to identify genes affected by mutations. They found that many of these genes were involved in immune system function, specifically the innate immune system, which is the body's first line of defense against infections and other harmful substances.

The team also discovered that many of the genetic variants that affect the stability of mRNA are associated with autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. This research brings attention to the importance of the genetic variants that affect mRNA stability, which may be a crucial factor behind certain immune-related diseases.

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