{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nRecent investigations into the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis have uncovered a critical regulatory axis involving the mitochondrial circRNA circMTND5 and the microRNA MIR6812. In kidney biopsies from lupus nephritis patients, circMTND5 expression was markedly downregulated while MIR6812 levels were significantly increased. This inverse relationship suggested that circMTND5 normally acts to sequester MIR6812, thereby preventing MIR6812 from downregulating mitochondrial functional genes and upregulating profibrotic genes."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nExperimental studies using HK-2 cells further established that circMTND5 and MIR6812 colocalize within mitochondria, where they physically interact as demonstrated by RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pulldown, and luciferase reporter assays. Manipulation of their expression confirmed their functional interplay: knockdown of circMTND5 led to an increase in MIR6812 levels, which in turn reduced the expression of genes vital for mitochondrial function and enhanced profibrotic gene expression. Conversely, overexpression of circMTND5 effectively sponged MIR6812 and reversed these maladaptive changes, while direct modulation of MIR6812 produced similar effects."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nThese findings highlight the importance of the circMTND5–MIR6812 axis in maintaining mitochondrial integrity and mitigating kidney fibrosis in the context of lupus nephritis. By sponging MIR6812, circMTND5 alleviates mitochondrial injury and curbs fibrotic responses, thereby emerging as a potential therapeutic target in renal diseases characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and fibrosis."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Junjun Luan, Congcong Jiao, Cong Ma, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "circMTND5 Participates in Renal Mitochondrial Injury and Fibrosis by Sponging MIR6812 in Lupus Nephritis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oxid Med Cell Longev (2022)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1155/2022/2769487"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2769487"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "36267809"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36267809"}]}]}]}