Taken together, our study shows that curcumin down-regulates TLR2 gene expression and function in CF bronchial epithelial cells possibly by accelerating SP1 degradation via an oxidative process.
To our knowledge, this study is the first to report of a role for TOM1 in the TLR2/4 signaling pathways and the first to describe microRNA involvement in CF.
Taken together, our results demonstrate that TLR2 expression is epigenetically up-regulated in CF bronchial epithelial cells and suggest that TLR2 overexpression or prolonged activation of TLR2 signaling might be critical in CF pathogenesis.
Increased availability of TLR2 at the apical surfaces of CF epithelial cells is consistent with the increased proinflammatory responses seen in CF airways and suggests a selective participation of TLRs in the airway mucosa.