Nucleic Acid-Induced Chemokine Expression in Keratinocytes: Implications for Skin Inflammation

This study investigates the role of nucleic acids in inducing chemokine expression in keratinocytes, which has implications for skin inflammation. Researchers found that cytoplasmic nucleic acids significantly induce chemokines such as CCL2, CXCL10, and fractalkine through NF-κB activation. The study involved keratinocytes from 7 independent donors and showed that poly(I:C) and poly(dA:dT) transfections lead to elevated chemokine expression, with CXCL10 showing the highest increase. While alternative splicing of chemokines was explored, only the full-length variant of fractalkine was confirmed, suggesting other regulatory mechanisms. The study highlights the potential for targeting NF-κB and MAPK pathways as therapeutic strategies for inflammatory skin diseases.