MicroRNA-21a-5p inhibition alleviates systemic sclerosis by targeting STAT3 signaling

MicroRNA (miRNA)-21-5p participates in various biological processes, including cancer and autoimmune diseases. However, its role in the development of fibrosis in the in vivo model of systemic sclerosis (SSc) has not been reported. This study investigated the effects of miRNA-21a-5p overexpression and inhibition on SSc fibrosis using a bleomycin-induced SSc mouse model. A murine SSc model was induced by subcutaneously injecting 100 μg bleomycin dissolved in 0.9