Figure 6.

Proposed negative feedback mechanism regulating body temperature when fever occurs. Triggering an immune response (e.g. via infection), increases the expression of endogenous pyrogens, leading to fever. Fever will result in decreased expression of RBM3, which in turn leads to increased expression of thermomiRs normally targeted by RBM3, thereby fine-tuning expression of endogenous pyrogens. The thermomiRs themselves play integral roles in coordinating the response to fever and infection. This negative feedback loop attenuates excessive increases in body temperature.