Project description:Urinary extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as promising noninvasive biomarkers for disease prediction. However, fluctuations in urine concentration throughout the day may influence miRNA abundance and profiles, potentially limiting their clinical utility. To ensure the broader applicability of urinary miRNAs in disease prediction, it is essential that their profiles remain stable regardless of collection time. In this study, we systematically examined factors influencing urinary miRNA abundance and assessed the stability of miRNA profiles. We collected serial urine samples from healthy individuals over three days, and performed small RNA sequencing to analyze urinary miRNA profiles in relation to various urine concentration parameters. Total miRNA counts were negatively correlated with urine volume and positively correlated with urine concentration indicators, including specific gravity and creatinine levels. miRNA profiles remained stable across different times and days when samples with low miRNA counts were excluded. These findings indicate that urine dilution—primarily due to fluid intake—is a major cause of variation in urinary miRNA abundance. Our results highlight the importance of collecting adequately concentrated samples and provide foundational insights for developing standardized urine collection protocols to enhance the reliability of urinary miRNAs as biomarkers.
Project description:We have identified several nucleotide motifs (caug, cgggag=S2) that promote exosome sorting of miRNA in different cell types including brown adipocytes. In order to identify which proteins might recognize and bind to these motifs, we have performed co-precipitations of proteins binding biotinylated forms of miRNAs containing the aforementioned motifs or none - using streptavidin beads incubated with brown adipocytes cell lysates. We have included two types of controls: negative poly-A control and a scramble miRNA.
Project description:Exosomal miRNAs secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a critical role in facilitating head and neck cancer (HNC) progression. A few studies in other cancers have confirmed some CAF-specific miRNAs could be delivered to tumor cells via exosome, thus contributing to chemoresistance. To identify the specific miRNAs responsible for the capability of CAF-derived exosomes to promote cisplatin resistance in recipient HNC cells, a miRNA array was conducted to identify miRNAs involved in exosomes derived from CAFs and the paired normal fibroblasts (NFs).