(u01) rfa-rm-13-014
Projects
In this proposal, we postulate that, in healthy adults, circulating plasma and urine levels of exRNAs; i) are associated with sex, race and ethnicity; ii) are associated with cellular gene expression; iii) may vary with age, and; iv) are associated with genomic variability. The primary goal of this RFA is the generation of exRNA profiles in healthy individuals. More
Among the known blood molecules is a new class, the extracellular RNAs (exRNAs.) Some of these are excellent biomarker candidates, but there are also a significant number of exRNAs derived from the microbiome. Both endogenous and exogenous exRNAs carry much information and could be effectors of cellular function. More
A novel paradigm in paracrine signaling has recently emerged based on the findings identifying extracellular vesicles (EVs) as intercellular conveyors of biological information. Complementary to traditional modes of signaling, EV-mediated signaling appears to be critical for metabolic cooperation and coordination between cells, tissues and organs. More
Pregnancy is a peculiar and dynamic physiologic state, which presents the investigator with the unique opportunity of studying the role of ExRNAs in signaling between two individuals, the fetus and the mother. More
The discovery of extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) in the bloodstream has raised intriguing questions about whether regulatory RNA molecules, either endogenously produced or taken up from our environment (e.g., through diet), can influence our physiology by acting as blood-borne hormones. Although we and others have studied circulating exRNAs for several years now, the identity of >95% of exRNA species in blood and other body fluids remains a mystery. More
Our goal is to generate reference profiles of short, long and circular non-coding regulatory exRNAs, including environmentally-derived exRNAs, in samples of 12 different body fluids from healthy humans using comprehensive RNA sequencing. More
