MicroRNA regulation of Macrophage Activation
(Catriona Alexander: collaboration with David Hume/Dave Sester)
Macrophages are phagocytic cells of the innate immune system with roles in wound healing, tissue homeostasis and in the first line of defence against invading pathogens. Macrophage activation occurs upon interaction with a pathogen and this initiates many pathways that tailor a response directed at pathogen destruction. Macrophage activation must be carefully regulated as mis-regulation can cause inflammatory diseases which may prove fatal for the host. Recently microRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in the activation of macrophages – miR-155 and miR-146 are up-regulated after macrophage activation with lipopolysaccharide. This project aims to identify microRNAs that regulate macrophage activation. Illumina NGS will be used to identify miRNAs with differential expression during macrophage activation. Further studies will then determine the roles played by selected miRNA in macrophage activation and identify genes targeted by regulatory miRNA during this processes.