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In cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL), miR-21 is aberrantly expressed in skin and peripheral blood and displays anti-apoptotic properties in malignant T cells. It is, however, unclear exactly which cells express miR-21 and what mechanisms regulate miR-21. Here, we demonstrate miR-21 expression in situ in both malignant and reactive lymphocytes as well as stromal cells. qRT-PCR analysis of 47 patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary Syndrome (SS) confirmed an increased miR-21 expression that correlated with progressive disease. In cultured malignant T cells miR-21 expression was inhibited by Tofacitinib (CP-690550), a clinical-grade JAK3 inhibitor. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed direct binding of STAT5 to the miR-21 promoter. Cytokine starvation ex vivo triggered a decrease in miR-21 expression, whereas IL-2 induced an increased miR-21 expression in primary SS T cells and cultured cytokine-dependent SS cells (SeAx). siRNA-mediated depletion of STAT5 inhibited constitutive- and IL-2-induced miR-21 expression in cytokine-independent and dependent T cell lines, respectively. IL-15 and IL-2 were more potent than IL-21 in inducing miR-21 expression in the cytokine-dependent T cells. In conclusion, we provide first evidence that miR-21 is expressed in situ in CTCL skin lesions, induced by IL-2 and IL-15 cytokines, and is regulated by STAT5 in malignant T cells. Thus, our data provide novel evidence for a pathological role of IL-2Rg cytokines in promoting expression of the oncogenic miR-21 in CTCL.

Aberrant activation of Janus kinase-3 (Jak3) and its key down-stream effectors, Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 (STAT3) and STAT5, is a key feature of malignant transformation in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). However, it remains only partially understood how Jak3/STAT activation promotes lymphomagenesis. Recently, non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of this malignancy. Here, we show that (i) malignant T cells display a decreased expression of a tumor suppressor miRNA, miR-22, when compared to non-malignant T cells, (ii) STAT5 binds the promoter of the miR-22 host gene, and (iii) inhibition of Jak3, STAT3, and STAT5 triggers increased expression of pri-miR-22 and miR-22. Curcumin, a nutrient with anti-Jak3 activity and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) also trigger increased expression of pri-miR-22 and miR-22. Transfection of malignant T cells with recombinant miR-22 inhibits the expression of validated miR-22 targets including NCoA1, a transcriptional co-activator in others cancers, as well as HDAC6, MAX, MYCBP, PTEN, and CDK2, which have all been implicated in CTCL pathogenesis. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence that de-regulated Jak3/STAT3/STAT5 signalling in CTCL cells represses the expression of the gene encoding miR-22, a novel tumor suppressor miRNA.