WFPink Proposal: Difference between revisions

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===Project Overview===
===Project Overview===
MicroRNAs are an up-and-coming field of biology. Recent research has shown that they have a critical role in many types of cancers, both as oncogenes and as tumor-suppressors. Much work has gone into investigating the possibility of using miRNAs to treat cancer.
MicroRNAs are an up-and-coming field of biology; recent research has shown that they have a critical role in many types of cancers, both as oncogenes and as tumor-suppressors. Most of this research, however, has been focused towards inhibiting oncogenic miRNA activity. We propose to investigate using miRNAs to suppress specific, known oncogenic genes.


===Background Info===
===Background Info===
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* Changing just one base pair in a target sequence can affect the binding of miRNA. (p1)
* Changing just one base pair in a target sequence can affect the binding of miRNA. (p1)
* Certain miRNAs can refer resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs by targeting cell cycle inhibitors and down-regulating them. (p1)
* Certain miRNAs can refer resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs by targeting cell cycle inhibitors and down-regulating them. (p1)
* "Virtually all examined tumor types are characterized by globally abnormal miRNA expression patterns." (p2)


===Research Problem===
===Research Problem===
* Investigate using miRNAs to knock out genes (like p53) that are known to cause cancer.
* Investigate using miRNAs to knock out genes (like p53) that are known to cause cancer.
* Or, investigate how to regulate over-active miRNAs that cause cancers themselves.
* Or, investigate how to regulate over-active miRNAs that cause cancers themselves. (Currently a focus of much research, according to [2])
* Or, investigate how miRNAs work by knocking out known miRNA sequences and seeing what happens. Maybe mutating them? Can we change their specificity?
* Or, investigate how miRNAs work by knocking out known miRNA sequences and seeing what happens. Maybe mutating them? Can we change their specificity?


===Project Details and Methods===
===Project Details and Methods===
Detecting miRNA phenotypes is apparently difficult, according to the Weinberg paper below (the 2nd review article. I should number these sources).
Detecting miRNA phenotypes is apparently difficult, according to the Weinberg paper below [4].


===Predicted Outcomes===
===Predicted Outcomes===
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==(Possible) Sources==
==(Possible) Sources==
* '''"Paper 1":''' ERα-negative and triple negative breast cancer: Molecular features and potential therapeutic approaches (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T23-4WHFD55-1&_user=501045&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000022659&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=501045&md5=59d0f4727e262100e250780b97e3126f)
* [1] '''"Paper 1":''' ERα-negative and triple negative breast cancer: Molecular features and potential therapeutic approaches (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T23-4WHFD55-1&_user=501045&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000022659&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=501045&md5=59d0f4727e262100e250780b97e3126f)
* '''"Paper 2":''' Therapeutic microRNA Delivery Suppresses Tumorigenesis in a Murine Liver Cancer Model (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WSN-4WH1GC7-C&_user=501045&_coverDate=06%2F12%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000022659&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=501045&md5=1aa432d2843456eb7375e492ce6c2605)
* [2] '''"Paper 2":''' Therapeutic microRNA Delivery Suppresses Tumorigenesis in a Murine Liver Cancer Model (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WSN-4WH1GC7-C&_user=501045&_coverDate=06%2F12%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000022659&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=501045&md5=1aa432d2843456eb7375e492ce6c2605). This paper is about using miRNAs as a generic cancer therapy - i.e., using miRNAs that don't necessarily target the affected gene.
* '''"That Review Article We Can't Get Yet"''': MicroRNAs in Cancer: Small Molecules with a Big Impact (http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2009.24.0317v1)
* [3] '''"That Review Article We Can't Get Yet"''': MicroRNAs in Cancer: Small Molecules with a Big Impact (http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2009.24.0317v1)
* '''"Other Review Article We Can't Get"''': Assaying microRNA loss-of-function phenotypes in mammalian cells: Emerging tools and their potential therapeutic utility (http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/rnabiology/article/10081)
* [4] '''"Other Review Article We Can't Get"''': Assaying microRNA loss-of-function phenotypes in mammalian cells: Emerging tools and their potential therapeutic utility (http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/rnabiology/article/10081)
*'''A possibility if we go the breast cancer route''': A.J. Lowery, et al. MicroRNA signatures predict estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HEr2/neu receptor status in breast cancer, Breast Cancer Res. 11 (2009) R27.
* [5] '''A possibility if we go the breast cancer route''': A.J. Lowery, et al. MicroRNA signatures predict estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HEr2/neu receptor status in breast cancer, Breast Cancer Res. 11 (2009) R27.

Revision as of 09:59, 20 November 2009

Katie Thomas and Kristin Kuhn

Using MicroRNAs to treat cancer

(Optionally including a way to deliver microRNAs specifically to cancer cells)

Project Overview

MicroRNAs are an up-and-coming field of biology; recent research has shown that they have a critical role in many types of cancers, both as oncogenes and as tumor-suppressors. Most of this research, however, has been focused towards inhibiting oncogenic miRNA activity. We propose to investigate using miRNAs to suppress specific, known oncogenic genes.

Background Info

  • "expression level of microRNAs are altered in most human cancers"
  • MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression.
  • Changing just one base pair in a target sequence can affect the binding of miRNA. (p1)
  • Certain miRNAs can refer resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs by targeting cell cycle inhibitors and down-regulating them. (p1)
  • "Virtually all examined tumor types are characterized by globally abnormal miRNA expression patterns." (p2)

Research Problem

  • Investigate using miRNAs to knock out genes (like p53) that are known to cause cancer.
  • Or, investigate how to regulate over-active miRNAs that cause cancers themselves. (Currently a focus of much research, according to [2])
  • Or, investigate how miRNAs work by knocking out known miRNA sequences and seeing what happens. Maybe mutating them? Can we change their specificity?

Project Details and Methods

Detecting miRNA phenotypes is apparently difficult, according to the Weinberg paper below [4].

Predicted Outcomes

Needed Resources

e.g., financial, cell stocks, etc

(Possible) Sources

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