Evidence for novel cell defense mechanisms sustained by dimethyl fumarate in multiple sclerosis patients: the HuR/SOD2 cascade

Introduction - This database includes the raw data linked with the paper Evidence for novel cell defense mechanisms sustained by dimethyl fumarate in multiple sclerosis patients: the HuR/SOD2 cascade.

In this paper, we reported the HuR protein levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from MS patients before and after dimethyl fumarate (DMF) treatment compared to healthy controls (HC). Considering that HuR may act on different targets playing a protective role against oxidative stress, we had the goal of disclosing whether MnSOD could represent a new molecular target of HuR and the potential influence of DMF treatment on this interaction .

Methods - PBMCs from 20 patients with MS and 20 matched HC were used to evaluate HuR, MnSOD and Nrf2 protein content by Western blot, before and after 12 months of DMF treatment.

Immunoprecipitation experiments coupled with RNA extraction in PBMCs were performed to explore whether MnSOD mRNA could be physically bound by HuR and whether this binding could be affected by 12 months of DMF treatment.

Results - In PBMCs, HuR protein interacts with MnSOD transcript both in HC and in MS patients naïve to disease modifying treatment. This interaction is positively affected by 12 months of DMF treatment.  PBMCs from MS patients have a lower HuR and MnSOD protein content compared to matched HC (HuR: p<0.01, MnSOD p<0.01). Of interest, 12 months of DMF treatment in MS patients restore the amount of both HuR protein and MnSOD enzyme to the levels observed in HC. We also confirmed that Nrf2 is an HuR target, and we report that its levels are significantly increased in MS patients naïve to disease modifying treatment and remain elevated following DMF administration.