Monocyte surface Y RNAs potentiate innate immunity.

Surface Y RNAs on human monocytes are linked to increased inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease and promote immune activation via TLR2 and TLR4.

• Why it matters: Understanding the role of specific surface RNAs on immune cells can reveal new mechanisms of inflammation and potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases like IBD.
• What they did: The study used profiling, imaging, and quantification methods to show that Y RNAs localize to human monocyte surfaces, with higher proportions in IBD patients, and employed in vivo mouse models to assess effects of Y RNA depletion.
• The result: Depleting surface Y RNAs reduces colitis severity in mice and Y RNAs enhance receptor-mediated recognition of histones, activating NF-κB and IL6 secretion, thus amplifying inflammatory responses.