MicroRNA miR-146a-5p shows link to reduced inflammation in sepsis-related lung injury

A new study published in BMC Immunology reports that the microRNA miR-146a-5p is significantly decreased in patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury, while the signaling molecule IRAK1 and pro-inflammatory factors are significantly increased in the same patients. The research, published on 28 October 2026, combines patient measurements with cell experiments to examine how this microRNA may influence the inflammatory response that characterizes the condition.

Sepsis-induced acute lung injury is described in the study as a condition marked by an excessive inflammatory response and a high mortality rate. The authors note that the regulatory role of microRNAs in this setting remains to be further explored, which motivated their combined clinical and laboratory approach.

The study included patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury as well as healthy individuals. The researchers used qRT-PCR, a dual luciferase reporter assay, and multivariate logistic regression to analyze the expression of miR-146a-5p, IRAK1, and pro-inflammatory factors, and to assess the correlations among them.

In the patient samples, the expression of miR-146a-5p was significantly decreased compared with healthy individuals, while IRAK1 and pro-inflammatory factors were significantly increased. These clinical observations formed the starting point for the laboratory experiments that followed.

Cell experiments confirmed that miR-146a-5p directly targets IRAK1, according to the study. Western blot analysis further demonstrated that miR-146a-5p suppresses the IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling cascade, and that this suppression reduces the production of pro-inflammatory factors in the cell models.

The study also examined the diagnostic potential of the microRNA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified plasma miR-146a-5p as an independent discriminating factor for sepsis-induced acute lung injury versus healthy subjects, and ROC analysis revealed favorable diagnostic performance in distinguishing patients from healthy controls.

The authors conclude that miR-146a-5p inhibits the inflammatory response in sepsis-induced acute lung injury by targeting the IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway. They emphasize that these results highlight miR-146a-5p as a candidate molecule deserving further investigation in the condition, rather than a validated treatment or diagnostic test.

As with any early-stage study combining patient measurements with cell models, the findings describe associations and mechanisms observed in the populations and models studied. The clinical trial number for the work is listed as not applicable, and the article is published as open access research in BMC Immunology.

Subject of Research: The role of miR-146a-5p in sepsis-induced acute lung injury and the IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway

Article Title: miR-146a-5p alleviates sepsis-induced acute lung injury by targeting the IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway

Article References: Lu, R., Hu, S., Dai, W., & Fan, X. (2026). miR-146a-5p alleviates sepsis-induced acute lung injury by targeting the IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway. BMC Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12865-026-00925-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12865-026-00925-6

Keywords: miR-146a-5p, sepsis, acute lung injury, IRAK1, TRAF6, NF-κB, microRNA, inflammation, BMC Immunology, diagnostic biomarker, qRT-PCR, cell models