IRAK1 and infection: We could support this observation by an in silico prediction of targets for miR-146a using 3 different algorithms [9], [29], [30] as well as by experimental approaches ex vivo and in vitro: i) we observed miR-146a as upregulated in response to stimulation of primary monocytes with TNF-α or LPS (as well as in response to flagellin and infection with Listeria monocytogenes) and ii) we observed an upregulation of TRAF6 and IRAK1 in the myelomonocytic THP-1 cell line after blocking miR-146a by transfection of anti-miR-146a in the presence of TNF-α.