“Our results suggest that this RNA molecule acts as a protective factor for the cells’ mitochondria by stabilising an antioxidant that counteracts harmful stress,” says Jennifer Geara, doctoral student in Ning Xu Landén‘s research group at the Department of Medicine, Solna.
When circMTRNR2 is absent, cellular stress increases and the mitochondria are damaged, which slows down the healing of the wound.
Potential target for future treatments
In both models of human wound tissue and animal models, the researchers observed that the healing process was slower when the amount of circMTRNR2 was reduced and faster when it was increased. According to the researchers, the molecule could therefore become a future target for treating chronic wounds, but more research is needed.
“The next step is to investigate how circMTRNR2 can be delivered directly to wound tissue and whether this can improve healing in patients with long‑standing wounds,” says Jennifer Geara.
Reference: Niu G, Geara J, Chen Y, et al. Mitochondrial circRNA CircMT-RNR2 safeguards antioxidant defense to support fibroblast functions in wound repair. Adv Sci. 2026:e17141. doi: 10.1002/advs.202517141
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