MicroRNA expression changes following BCL11A inhibition in CD34+-derived red blood cells.

Background Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) specifically target mRNAs and induce silencing of protein-coding genes. MicroRNAs are single-stranded RNA molecules that can target several genes. This study evaluated microRNA expression following the inhibition of γ to β-globin gene switching and examined the increased expression of γ genes through the effect of siRNAs on the B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A) gene. Methods Stem cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using the Ficoll-Paque method. The cells were cultured in Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM) for differentiation into erythroid cells over 28 days and stored under optimal conditions. On the 21st day, siRNAs were inserted into BCL11A. The expression levels of miR-15a, miR-16, miR-23a, miR-27a, and miR-486 were evaluated before and after siRNA treatment. The comparative CT method (2-ΔΔCT) was used to compare miRNA expression. For data analysis, Student's t-tests were performed, with P<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results The five miRNAs in this study showed significant differences (P<0.01). The relative expression of BCL11A after siRNA transmission decreased, while the expression of γ gene showed an increasing trend (1.2, 2.1, and 2.3, respectively). Conclusions The expression levels of miR-15a, miR-16, miR-23a, miR-27a, and miR-486 changed before and after γ-to-β gene switching. Therefore, this may be an effective intervention for controlling the switching and synthesis of fetal hemoglobin.