dc.contributor.author | Hargreaves, Breanna Kelly Virginia | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-01-07T18:30:46Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-01-07T18:30:46Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-01-07T18:30:46Z | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10222/80179 | |
dc.description.abstract | Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic autoimmune/inflammatory disease involving innate/adaptive lymphocytes and soluble mediators. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that direct immunity through cytotoxicity and cytokine production. The contributions of NK cells are ill-defined in RA, although their function(s) may be regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). MiRNAs are non-coding RNAs that inhibit mRNA. To investigate the miRNA-NK cell interplay, we optimized highly efficient transfection techniques in serum-free media for enhancing or interrupting NK cell miRNA signaling. We targeted miRNAs that are expressed differently in patients with RA compared to healthy individuals. Our findings suggest that miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p, two miRNAs upregulated in RA, reduce NKG2C expression, a hallmark of adaptive NK cells. We expect chronic overexpression of these miRNAs inhibits adaptive NK cells and their ability to eliminate auto-reactive B/T cells through antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), thereby reducing treatment efficacy for therapies that rely on effective ADCC. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.subject | Natural Killer Cell | en_US |
dc.subject | MicroRNA | en_US |
dc.subject | Rheumatoid Arthritis | en_US |
dc.subject | Transfection | en_US |
dc.title | MICRORNA SPECIES REGULATE IMMUNE PROCESSES: A FOCUS ON NK CELLS IN CHRONIC ARTHRITIS | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
dc.date.defence | 2019-06-20 | |
dc.contributor.department | Department of Microbiology & Immunology | en_US |
dc.contributor.degree | Master of Science | en_US |
dc.contributor.external-examiner | Dr. Shashi Gujar | en_US |
dc.contributor.graduate-coordinator | Dr. Brent Johnston | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-reader | Dr. Thomas Issekutz | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-reader | Dr. Craig McCormick | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-supervisor | Dr. Beata Derfalvi | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-supervisor | Dr. Jeanette Boudreau | en_US |
dc.contributor.ethics-approval | Received | en_US |
dc.contributor.manuscripts | Not Applicable | en_US |
dc.contributor.copyright-release | Not Applicable | en_US |