The CRISPR-Cas9 System Is Used to Edit the Autoimmune Regulator Gene in Vitro and in Vivo.

Although mutations in the AIRE gene in patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) syndrome are associated with the onset of this autoimmune disease, much of what is known about its mechanisms has been obtained through studies with Aire mutant Mus musculus mouse model or with Aire mutant medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) cultured in vitro. The in vivo murine model was soon established, and ten mutant strains are currently described. Most Aire mutant mice were obtained through homologous recombination, which generated Aire knockout (KO) animals.

miR-155 exerts posttranscriptional control of autoimmune regulator (Aire) and tissue-restricted antigen genes in medullary thymic epithelial cells.

Background: The autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene is critical for the appropriate establishment of central immune tolerance. As one of the main controllers of promiscuous gene expression in the thymus, Aire promotes the expression of thousands of downstream tissue-restricted antigen (TRA) genes, cell adhesion genes and transcription factor genes in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). Despite the increasing knowledge about the role of Aire as an upstream transcriptional controller, little is known about the mechanisms by which this gene could be regulated.