The role of microRNAs in T cell differentiation

Abstract

The role of microRNAs in T cell differentiation Hilary M Sheppard1, Daniel Verdon1,2, Anna ES Brooks1,2, Vaughan Feisst1, Yu-Yu Joyce Ho1, Natalie Lorenz1, Nigel Birch1,4, Vicky Fan1,3, P Rod Dunbar1 My research interests are concerned with the molecular mechanisms that underlie cell differentiation, with an emphasis on miRNAs. My focus to date has been on two clinically relevant cell types – T cells and adipose derived stem cells. T cells are important in the acquired immune response and the role of miRNAs in this process is just beginning to be elucidated. Dysregulation of miRNAs in T cells has been associated with autoimmune diseases and cancers. In addition, being able to control the differentiation status of a T cell is critical to successful immunotherapy protocols, where patients’ immune cells (T cells in this case) are used to treat their own cancer. Therefore it is important that we have a full understanding of this aspect of T cell biology. I will present some of our data elucidating the general role of miRNAs in T cell differentiation with an emphasis on miR-146a, a microRNA dysregulated in autoimmune conditions and some T cell cancers. See our recently published data (Sheppard, H. et al. (2014) miRNA regulation in human CD8+ T cell subsets –cytokine exposure alone drives miR-146a expression. Journal of Translational Medicine, 12:292). This work was supported from grants-in-aid from The Lotteries Health Board, NZ, The Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust ,NZ, The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, NZ and from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, NZ. 1. SBS, University of Auckland 2. MWC, University of Auckland 3. Bioinformatics Institute, University of Auckland 4.Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland h.sheppard@ Auckland.ac.nz All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.