Lymphomas are heterogenous class of diseases characterized by proliferation of a malignant lymphocyte clone. MicroRNA miR-155 was found to be a key molecule in immune response, namely in inflammation and germinal reaction of B cells. On the other hand, miR-155 can drive lymphoproliferation in mouse and its levels were found to be elevated in certain lymphoma types in human. MiR-155 down-regulates expression of its target gene PU.1, a hematopoietic transcription factor important for B cell differentiation. Expression of the gene encoding miR-155, known as MIR155HG, is controled by several transcription factors, among them MYB, a member of an oncogenic E-box protein family. Levels of MYB itself are controled by microRNA miR-150. In this study, we measured levels of miR-155, PU.1, MYB and miR-150 in lymph nodes of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (B-CLL/SLL, N=20), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, N=24), follicular lymphoma (FL, N=29), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL, N=25), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL, N=13), and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, N=10). We also measured levels of these molecules in lymph nodes with the finding of strong inflammation (N=4). We found that patients of all the diagnoses except of MCL display heterogeneously elevated levels of miR-155 and correspondingly...

Nanocompósitos de alumina-zircônia (Al2O3-ZrO2) exibem altos valores de tenacidade a fratura (4-8 MPa/m) e resistência a flexão (> 500 MPa), biocompatibilidade e bioatividade, o que propicia seu uso em aplicações biomédicas. Além disso, a literatura indica que altas taxas de formação de fosfatos de cálcio podem ser obtidas mediante associação de tratamento químico de superfície à determinados substratos como, sílica (SiO2), titânio (TiO2) e ZrO2. No entanto, tal influência não foi verificada em sistemas nanoestruturados com matriz de Al2O3. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência da ZrO2 em diferentes percentuais de inclusões, quanto a formação dos fosfatos de cálcio sobre a superfície do nanocompósito cerâmico de Al2O3-ZrO2 pelo método biomimético. Para tal, pós cerâmicos foram obtidos pela dispersão de 0, 5, 10 e 15% em volume de ZrO2 nanométrica em matriz de Al2O3, conformados e sinterizados (1050 °C/1 h e 1450° para Al2O3 e 1050 °C/1 h e 1550°C para as demais composições). Após esta etapa, os corpos de prova foram submetidos a tratamento químico superficial com H3PO4 durante 4 dias a 90 °C e, posteriormente, recobertos biomimeticamente em SBF 1,0x, 1,5x e 5,0x, durante 14, 21 e 28 dias. Ao final deste período, as camadas de fosfatos de cálcio depositadas foram caracterizadas por Infravermelho Médio por Transformada de Fourier (FT-MIR) e Difração de Raios-X (DRX), para determinação das áreas de fosfatos totais e fases, em todos os períodos de incubação. De forma geral, observou-se maior deposição de fosfatos de cálcio sobre a superfície dos nanocompósitos com maiores percentuais de inclusões de ZrO2. Além disso, os recobrimentos com todas as soluções de SBF propiciaram a formação de grupos fosfatos (PO43-) e carbonatos (CO32-), Independentemente da concentração de SBF, ou percentual de inclusões de ZrO2 na matriz de Al2O3, apenas três fases foram observadas em função do período de incubação: hidroxiapatita (HA), alfa e beta-fosfatotricálcico (α-TCP e β-TCP). Aos 28 dias de incubação, em todas as condições, maiores teores de ZrO2 influíram para formação da fase α-TCP (r > 0,88). Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a ZrO2 influenciou de forma significativa na formação dos fosfatos de cálcio de interesse biológico (α/β-TCP e HA) na superfície dos nanocompósitos, o que proporciona melhores condições de bioatividade, solubilidade e osteocondução às superfícies dos corpos de prova cerâmicos. Nesse sentido, as biocerâmicas de Al2O3-ZrO2 recobertas com promissoras às aplicações de substituição e remodelação do tecido ósseo. / Alumina-zirconia (Al2O3-ZrO2) nanocomposites exhibit high values of fracture toughness (4-8 MPa/m) and flexural strength (> 500 MPa), biocompatibility and bioactivity, which favors its use in biomedical applications. Furthermore, the literature indicates that high rates of formation of calcium phosphates can be obtained by associating chemical surface treatment with certain substrates such as silica (SiO2), titanium (TiO2) and ZrO2. However, such influence was not verified in nanostructured systems with Al2O3 matrix. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of ZrO2 on different percentages of inclusions, regarding the formation of calcium phosphates on the surface of the ceramic Al2O3-ZrO2 nanocomposite by the biomimetic method. Then, the ceramic powders were obtained by the dispersion of 0, 5, 10 and 15% by volume of nanometer ZrO2 in Al2O3 matrix, conformed and sintered (1050 °C / 1 h and 1450 °C for Al2O3 and 1050 °C / 1h and 1550°C for other compositions). After this step, the test specimens were submitted to superficial chemical treatment with H3PO4 for 4 days at 90 °C and then, biomimetically coated in 1.0x, 1.5x and 5.0x SBF for 14, 21 and 28 days. At the end of this period, deposited calcium phosphate layers were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-MIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for determination of total phosphate and phase areas in all periods of incubation. In general, higher deposition of calcium phosphates on the surface of nanocomposites with higher percentages of ZrO2 inclusions was observed. Regardless of the concentration of SBF or percentage of ZrO2 inclusions in Al2O3 matrix, only three layers were observed as a function of incubation period, hydroxyapatite (HA), alpha and beta-phosphate-calcium (α-TCP and β-TCP). At 28 days of incubation, under all conditions, higher ZrO2 contents influenced the α-TCP phase formation (r > 0.88). The results suggest that ZrO2 significantly influenced the formation of calcium phosphates of biological interest (α / β-TCP and HA) on the surface of the nanocomposites, which provides better conditions of bioactivity, solubility and osteoconduction to the surfaces of the proof ceramic tiles. In this sense, the Al2O3-ZrO2 bioceramics coated with promising to the bone tissue replacement and remodeling applications.

Les microARNs (miARN) sont de petits ARN régulant l’expression des gènes au niveau post-transcriptionnel. Ils sont impliqués dans la régulation de nombreux processus biologiques nécessaires au fonctionnement cellulaire, comme le contrôle de la réponse à l’inflammation. Dans ce travail, nous avons évalué l’implication des miARN dans la réponse tubulaire rénale à l’inflammation. Au cours d’un premier travail nous avons étudié par une approche globale le profil d’expression des miARN dans des cellules tubulaires proximales de la lignée HKJ2 exposées à des cytokines pro-inflammatoires. Nous avons ainsi identifié la forte induction de miR-146a en réponse au stimulus inflammatoire. Nous avons ensuite mis en évidence in vitro que l’induction de miR-146a par l’IL-1β dans les cellules HK-2 est secondaire à l’activation de la voie NF-κB, constitue un rétrocontrôle négatif de cette voie et régule l’expression de CXCL8 en aval. In vivo, l’étude du phénotype des souris invalidées pour miR-146a dans un modèle d’agression tubulaire rénale où l’inflammation joue un rôle significatif a mis en évidence une aggravation des lésions tubulaires, de l’infiltrat inflammatoire et de la fibrose interstitielle en réponse à l’ischémie-reperfusion. Le blocage de la signalisation induite par CXCL8 par la réparixine, un inhibiteur du récepteur de CXCL8 (CXCR1), permet de limiter le développement des lésions induites par l’ischémie-reperfusion chez les souris miR-146a-/-. Dans un second travail nous avons exploré le phénotype rénal des souris invalidées pour miR-146a, connues pour développer une auto-immunité. / Independently of its cause, acute kidney injury leads to the development of tubular injury and interstitial inflammation that need to be controlled to avoid fibrosis development. We hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of the balance between lesions and adaptive repair. Using HK2 human proximal tubular epithelial cells, we studied in vitro the response to pro-inflammatory cytokines and the regulation of miR-146a. We explored its targets in HK2 cells after stimulation by IL-1β. In vivo we explored the effect of unilateral renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in wild-type or miR-146a invalidated mice. In pro-inflammatory conditions, we identified miR-146a to be transcriptionally upregulated by ligands of the interleukin-1-toll-like receptor signaling in HK2 cells. IL-1β treatment induced miR-146a expression in a time- and concentration-dependent manner through the activation of NF-κB, as confirmed by siRNA and luciferase reporter vector experiments. MiR-146a acted as a negative feedback regulator of this critical pathway by targeting IRAK1, thus decreasing CXCL8/CXCL1 expression by injured tubular cells. In vivo, miR-146a was found to be induced in response to renal IRI in a mouse model of renal unilateral IRI seven days after the injury. In human, miR-146a was found to be induced in the renal allograft of patients who experienced acute tubular necrosis early after transplantation as compared to patients with normal allograft biopsy results (P<0.05). Mir-146a levels were also increased in urine samples collected ten days after renal transplantation in recipients of a deceased donor kidney as compared to recipients of a living donor kidney (P<0.01). In situ hybridization localized up-regulated miR-146a mostly in tubular cells after IRI. Fourteen days after unilateral IRI, miR-146a-/- mice had greater tubular injury, inflammatory infiltrate and fibrosis compared with wild-type mice. Inhibition of the CXCL8/CXCL1 signaling using reparixin, a CXCR2 inhibitor, prevented the development of tubular injury, inflammation and fibrosis after IRI in miR-146a-/- mice. In conclusion, these results highlight miR-146a as a key mediator of the renal response to injury by limiting the consequences of inflammation, a key process in the development of acute and chronic kidney diseases.

Avaliamos os efeitos da glicose elevada (HG, 25 mM) sobre a expressão do microRNA miR-31 em fibroblastos dérmicos obtidos de ratos normoglicêmicos e hiperglicêmicos (30 dias após indução do Diabetes Mellitus com estreptozotocina) e em linhagem de fibroblastos NIH-3T3, cultivadas em baixa concentração de glicose (5 mM) ou HG durante 3 dias. O papel do estresse oxidativo foi avaliado com a adição do antioxidante N-acetil cisteína (NAC) ao meio. A expressão de miR-31 foi estudada por RT-PCR e o comportamento migratório foi avaliado por vídeos. A expressão de miR-31 aumentou 3 vezes em fibroblastos de ratos hiperglicêmicos, enquanto em NIH-3T3 a HG aumentou a expressão de miR-31 em 50 %. Nestas células, o NAC preveniu a elevação de miR-31 e alguns dos efeitos da HG sobre a migração celular. A expressão exógena de miR-31 reproduziu parcialmente o fenótipo de células expostas à HG. Conclusão: HG aumenta a expressão de miR-31 em fibroblastos, contribuindo para a migração deficiente destas células no Diabetes Mellitus. / We evaluated the effects of high glucose (HG, 25 mM) on the expression of microRNA miR-31 in dermal fibroblasts obtained from normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rats (30 days after Diabetes Mellitus induction with streptozotocin) and NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, cultured under low glucose concentration (5 mM) or HG for 3 days. The role of oxidative stress was evaluated with the addition of the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) in the medium. The expression of miR-31 was studied by RT-PCR and cell migration was assessed by videos. The expression of miR-31 increased 3-fold in fibroblasts derived from hyperglycemic rats, and in NIH-3T3 cells HG increased miR-31 expression by 50%. In these cells, NAC prevented the elevation of miR-31 and some of the deleterious effects of HG on cell migration. Exogenous expression of miR-31 partially reproduced the phenotype of cells exposed to HG. Conclusion: HG increases the expression of miR-31 in fibroblasts, contributing to the impairment of migration of these cells observed in Diabetes Mellitus.

Notre étude a porté, d'une part sur l'effet du bicalutamide, un inhibiteur du récepteur aux androgènes, sur la réponse de trois lignées de cancer de prostate en association avec les rayonnements ionisants, d'autre part sur la recherche d'une corrélation entre l'expression des microARN miR-210 et miR-373 sur la tolérance à l'hypoxie et la réponse au rayonnement.Nous montrons que le bicalutamide induit un effet cytostatique et cytotoxique dans la lignée LNCaP, qui exprime le récepteur aux androgènes. Les lignées DU145 et PC3, qui n’expriment pas ou peu le récepteur, sont sensiblement plus résistantes mais sont cependant affectées par les concentrations élevées de bicalutamide. Cette sensibilité résiduelle suggère l'existence d'un mécanisme secondaire, indépendant de la voie de signalisation du récepteur aux androgènes. L'inhibition de la prolifération produite par le bicalutamide s'accompagne d'un blocage du cycle cellulaire en phase G1 avec une augmentation de l’expression de la protéine p27 et une diminution de l’expression de la protéine HER2. L'association concomitante au bicalutamide se traduit par un effet radioprotecteur dans la lignée LNCaP. Cette observation nous conduit à déconseiller l’association concomitante du bicalutamide avec la radiothérapie, notamment en cas d’irradiation hypofractionnée.Facteur bien connu de radiorésistance dans les tumeurs solides, l'hypoxie est associée à un mauvais pronostic dans les cancers de la prostate. Nos données montrent qu'en sus de l'induction de marqueurs classiques comme HIF-1α, CA9 et VEGF, l'hypoxie promeut l’expression du microARN miR-210, (mais non de miR-373) indépendamment de l’expression du récepteur aux androgènes. Les données suggèrent que miR-210, dont l'expression apparaît corrélée à la résistance à l'hypoxie, pourrait constituer un bon biomarqueur pronostique dans le cancer de la prostate. En revanche, l’inhibition de l’expression de miR-210 n'a aucun effet sur la radiosensibilité des cellules en condition d’hypoxie. / The first aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of the association between bicalutamide, an androgen receptor inhibitor, and ionizing radiation in three prostate cancer cell lines. The second aim was to examine a possible a correlation between the expression of miR-210 or miR-373, the tolerance to hypoxia tolerance and the responses to radiation.We found that bicalutamide produced cytostatic and cytotoxic effects in the androgen receptor- positive LNCaP cell line. The androgen receptor-negative DU145 and PC3 cell lines were more resistant to bicalutamide. However, these cell lines were affected by high bicalutamide concentration with the same endpoints as for LNCaP cells. The inhibition of proliferation by bicalutamide was associated with G1 cell cycle phase arrest, increased expression of p27KIP1 protein, and decreased expression of HER2 protein. Last but not least, bicalutamide elicited a marked radioprotective effect in LNCaP cells when associated with concomitant irradiation. This result suggests that bicalutamide and radiotherapy should not be delivered in close temporal proximity, especially in case of hypofractionated radiotherapy protocols.Hypoxia is a well known radioresistance factor in tumors and is associated with a bad prognosis in prostate cancer. In this study, we found that hypoxia promotes the expression of HIF-1α, CA9, VEGF and miR-210 but not miR-373 in prostate cancer cell lines irrespective of their androgen receptor status.Our findings suggest that miR-210 expression is correlated with resistance to hypoxia and could be used as a prognostic marker in prostate cancer. Conversely, miR-210 inhibition did not impact the radiation susceptibility of PC3 prostate cancer cell line under hypoxia.

Introdução: O número de indivíduos com sobrepeso e obesidade está aumentando, e a busca por entender mecanismo relacionados a esta doença se mostram cada vez mais importantes. O gene FTO foi o primeiro gene associado à obesidade, mas não se sabe muito a respeito de como é regulado e suas vias. MiRs são pequenos RNAs regulatórios que podem estar associados à obesidade, como também na regulação do gene FTO. Dessa forma, pretendemos identificar a relação do gene FTO e do hsamir-150 com sobrepeso/obesidade, perfil lipídico e glicemia de jejum. Métodos: Homens e mulheres (18 anos ou mais), com IMC > 25 kg/m2 participaram do presente estudo e foram analisadas a expressão do gene FTO, expressão do mir-150, parâmetros bioquímicos do sangue e antropometria. Resultados: Observamos a expressão do gene FTO estar relacionada à obesidade, LDL e glicemia de jejum. Conclusão: O gene FTO parece de fato estar relacionado à obesidade, LDL e glicemia de jejum, diferentemente do mir-150 / Introduction: The overweight population is growing in the entire world, and the search for obesity-associated mechanisms is important for a better understanding of this disease. The FTO gene was the first obesity associated gene. Otherwise, its pathways and how it can be regulated remain unknown. MiRs are small no coding RNAs that may be associated to obesity and FTO gene regulation. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the relationship among the FTO gene and the mir-150 expression with overweight/obesity lipid profile and fast blood glucose. Methods: Men and woman (18 years older or above), with body mass index > 25 Kg/m2, were enrolled in the present work and the FTO gene and mir-150 expression, biochemical parameters of blood and anthropometric measure were analyzed. Results: The results highlight that the FTO gene expression is associated to obesity, LDL and fasting blood glucose. Conclusion: Indeed, the FTO gene seems to be related to obesity, LDL and blood fasting glucose, differently of the mir-150

Les lymphomes à grandes cellules B primitifs du médiastin (PMBL) partagent des caractéristiques pathologiques avec les lymphomes diffus à grandes cellules B (DLBCL), et des caractéristiques moléculaires communes aux lymphomes de Hodgkin classiques (cHL). Le cluster oncogénique miR-17-92, localisé au niveau du chromosome 13q31, est un gène amplifié dans les DLBCL. Dans notre étude, nous avons comparé le niveau d’expression de chaque membre du clustermiR-17-92 dans une série de prélèvements de patients de 40 PMBL, 20 DLBCL et 20 cHL, et étudié les gènes cibles liés aux microARN dérégulés dans les PMBL. Nous avons montré un niveau plus élevé de miR-92a dans les PMBL que dans les DLBCL, mais pas dans les cHL. La combinaison d’une analyse in silico prédictive des cibles de miR-92a et d’une analyse transcriptomique nous a permis d’identifier FOXP1 comme la cible principale de miR-92a dans les PMBL, un résultats qui n’avait jusqu’alors pas été établi. Cette observation a été confirmée par le test 3’UTR, le niveau d’expression ARN et protéique dans les lignées cellulaires transduites. Les études in vivo sur les souris à partir des cellules transduites nous a permis de démontrer l’effet tumeur suppresseur de de miR-92a et l’effet oncogénique de FOXP1. L’expression plus élevée de miR-92a et la sous-expression de FOXP1 au niveau ARN et protéique a également été retrouvé dans les prélèvements humains de PMBL, alors que le niveau d’expression de miR-92a était bas et FOXP1 était haut dans les DLBCL. Nous en avons conclu à une régulation post-transcriptionnelle de FOXP1 par miR-92a dans les PMBL, avec une relevance clinico-pathologique pour mieux caractériser les PMBL. / Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) shares pathological features with diffuselarge B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and molecular features with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). The miR-17-92 oncogenic cluster, located at chromosome 13q31, is a region that is amplified in DLBCL. Here we compared the expression of each member of the miR-17-92 oncogenic cluster insamples from 40 PMBL patients versus 20 DLBCL and 20 cHL patients, and studied the target genes linked to deregulated miRNA in PMBL. We found a higher level of miR-92a in PMBL than in DLBCL, but not in cHL. Acombination of in silico prediction and transcriptomic analyses enabled us to identify FOXP1 as a main miR-92a target gene in PMBL, a result so far not established. This was confirmed by 3’UTR, and RNA and protein expressions in transduced cell lines. In vivo studies using the transduced cell lines in mice enabled us to demonstrate a tumor suppressor effect of miR-92aand an oncogenic effect of FOXP1. The higher expression of miR-92a and the down regulation of FOXP1 mRNA and proteinwere also found in human samples of PMBL, while miR-92a expression was low and FOXP1was high in DLBCL. We concluded to a post-transcriptional regulation by miR-92a through FOXP1 targeting in PMBL, with a clinico-pathological relevance for better characterisation of PMBL.

La dysfonction du tissu adipeux lors de l’obésité participe au développement de la résistance à l’insuline. L’activation de p53 dans l’adipocyte a récemment été impliquée dans la résistance à l’insuline lors de l’obésité, par des mécanismes inconnus. Le microARN miR-34a participe à la réponse cellulaire induite par p53 dans différents types cellulaires. Parmi ses cibles figurent Vamp2 et Sirt1, deux protéines impliquées respectivement dans la translocation des transporteurs de glucose (Glut4) et la sensibilité à l’insuline. Nous montrons que l’expression de p53 est augmentée dans les adipocytes de souris rendues obèses par un régime riche en graisses. Nous observons une augmentation du nombre d’adipocytes avec des dommages à l’ADN et également plus de dommages dans les adipocytes provenant des souris obèses. L’induction de dommage à l’ADN par la doxorubicine et la stabilisation de p53 par la nutline inhibe le transport de glucose induit par l’insuline et la signalisation de l’insuline dans des adipocytes en culture d’origine murine et humaine. En accord avec l’activation de p53 dans l’adipocyte lors de l’obésité, nous montrons que l’expression de miR-34a est augmentée dans le TA et les adipocytes de souris obèses. La surexpression de miR-34a dans des adipocytes 3T3-L1 inhibe le transport de glucose en réponse à l’insuline, la signalisation insulinique, la lipolyse, et augmente l’expression de l’ARNm de la leptine. Nous montrons que l’inhibition de la signalisation insulinique est due à l’induction de l’ARNm et de la tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B par miR-34a. L’inhibition de la lipolyse s’accompagne d’une inhibition d’expression d’ATGL, l’enzyme limitante de la lipolyse. / Dysfunction of adipose tissue in obesity is involved in the development of insulin resistance. Activation of p53 in adipocytes has recently been implicated in insulin resistance in obesity, by unknown mechanisms. MicroRNA miR-34a is involved in the cellular response induced by p53 in different cell types. Among its targets, VAMP2 and Sirt1are two proteins involved respectively in the translocation of glucose transporters (Glut4) and the insulin sensitivity. We show that p53 expression is increased in adipocytes of obese mice. We are seeing an increased number of fat cells with DNA damage and also more damage in adipocytes from obese mice. The induction of DNA damage by doxorubicin and stabilization of p53 by Nutline inhibits glucose transport induced by insulin and the insulin signaling in murine and human adipocytes in vitro. Consistent with the p53 activation in adipocytes in obesity, we show that the expression of miR-34a is increased in the TA and obese mice adipocytes. Overexpression of miR-34a in 3T3-L1 adipocytes inhibits glucose transport in response to insulin, insulin signaling, lipolysis, and increases expression of the mRNA of leptin. We show that the inhibition of the insulin signaling is due to induction of the mRNA and the tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B by miR-34a. Inhibition of lipolysis is accompanied by inhibition of expression of ATGL, the rate-limiting enzyme in lipolysis. Common to all of these effects is the control of the expression of these proteins by Sirt1, a NAD + dependent deacetylase. However, inhibition of expression of miR-34a by Sirt1 can not account for all the observed effects.

Inflammation and aberrant microRNAs expressions promote colon cancer growth and progression. However, the molecular mechanisms that link these pathways remain to be determined. In this dissertation, the causal relationship between inflammation and aberrant microRNAs expressions were explored. Elevated expression of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) receptor EP4 has been seen in human colon cancer. However, the mechanism by which EP4 receptor protein is deregulated is not known. Experiments in this dissertation demonstrate, for the first time, that the EP4 receptor is negatively regulated by miR-101.In previous work, we show that S100P is induced by stimulation of the PGE₂/EP4 receptor signaling pathway. S100P is a ligand for Receptor for Advance Glycation End-products (RAGE). However, little is known about the downstream targets of S100P/RAGE signaling. Here, we demonstrated that S100P/RAGE receptor signaling induces expression of miR-155 via the transcription factor AP-1. In addition, we investigated the genes that are downstream of S100P/RAGE/miR-155 pathway. Our microarrays and bioinformatics analyses identified two novel miR-155 targets, WNK1 and ZNF493 that are down-regulated upon activation of the S100P/RAGE/miR-155 pathway. Lastly, we investigated whether inhibition of S100P/RAGE signaling pathway would be beneficial as a cancer therapy using methyl-2-acetamidoacrylate (M2AA). M2AA treatments decreased colon cancer cells viability and also suppressed colon tumor growth and metastasis in vitro and also in the CAM assay in vivo. Taken together, our results suggest that modulation of S100P/RAGE signaling by M2AA offers therapeutic potential as anti-metastatic agents. In summary, this dissertation provides new insights on the molecular events that link inflammation pathways and microRNAs to colon cancer as well as show that therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways could be effective in treatment of neoplasia.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary hypoplasia causes high morbidity and mortality in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) patients. MiR-10a and miR-200b are overexpressed in human CDH lungs. We aimed to define their roles in lung development. METHODS: We profiled miR-10a expression with RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization using a nitrofen rat model for CDH. The effects of miR-10a on airway branching were evaluated in lung explants. MiR-200b’s role in airway branching was assessed in miR-200b knockout lung explants. Crossing miR-200b knockout mice with CFP-E-Cadherin was used to evaluate miR-200b’s effects on epithelial differentiation. RESULTS: Expression of miR-10a was altered in the nitrofen model and miR-10a mimics reversed lung hypoplasia in vitro. Heterozygous miR-200b lung explants displayed reduced airway branching. CFP-E-Cadherin/miR-200b knockout lung explants showed reduced epithelial expression. CONCLUSION: Both miR-10a and miR-200b are critical for lung development and CDH. Normalizing their expression may reverse lung hypoplasia and reduce the associated morbidity and mortality in CDH. / February 2016