Critical Evaluation of the Role of Transcription Factor RAR-Orphan Receptor-γt in the Development of Chronic Inflammatory Dermatological Diseases: A Promising Therapeutic Target

TL;DR

This paper reviews how the RORγt transcription factor contributes to chronic inflammatory skin diseases and explores its potential as a therapeutic target.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of RORγt's role in IL-17-driven inflammation and proposes targeting the RORγt-IL-17 axis for treating chronic inflammatory skin disorders.

Findings

RORγt is a master regulator of IL-17 production in immune cells.

Increased IL-17 levels are linked to chronic inflammatory skin conditions.

Targeting the RORγt-IL-17 axis may offer therapeutic benefits for these disorders.

Abstract

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are transcription factors regulated by ligands that direct metabolism, development, and immunity. The NR superfamily constitutes a principal category of pharmacological targets for human ailments. Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptors (RORs) α, β, and γ are part of the nuclear receptor superfamily. They are nevertheless classified as “orphan” receptors due to the contentious nature of identifying their endogenous ligands. RORγ nuclear receptor protein further consists of two isoforms, namely RORγ1 and RORγ2 or RORγt. RORγt is largely found in immune cells and has been primarily associated with chronic inflammatory conditions. The expression of STAT3 is a major driver of Th17 differentiation and induces RORγt expression through the JAK-STAT pathway. Type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s), Th17 cells, and γδT cells express RORγt, the master transcription regulator for the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin IL-17. In chronic inflammatory skin disorders, a significant increase in IL-17 has been observed, which plays a key role in both immune cell recruitment to the site of inflammation and the propagation of tissue damage. In this review, we will discuss how RORγt regulates IL-17-driven inflammation and explore potential strategies to target the RORγt-IL-17 axis as a viable therapeutic intervention in chronic inflammatory skin disorders.

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