MicroRNA-17 family promotes polycystic kidney disease progression through modulation of mitochondrial metabolism

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most frequent genetic cause of renal failure. Here we identify miR-17 as a target for the treatment of ADPKD. We report that miR-17 is induced in kidney cysts of mouse and human ADPKD. Genetic deletion of the miR-17 ∼ 492 cluster inhibits cyst proliferation and PKD progression in four orthologous, including two long-lived, mouse models of ADPKD. Anti-miR-17 treatment attenuates cyst growth in short-term and long-term PKD mouse models. miR-17 inhibition also suppresses proliferation and cyst growth of primary ADPKD cysts cultures derived from multiple human donors. Mechanistically, c-Myc upregulates miR-17 ∼ 92 in cystic kidneys, which in turn aggravates cyst growth by inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation and stimulating proliferation through direct repression of Pparα. Thus, miR-17 family is a promising drug target for ADPKD, and miR-17-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism represents a potential new mechanism for ADPKD progression.