phd thesis about exosomes and miRNA

[frodo]

A phd thesis freely avaliable about exosomes and miRNA, in case anybody is interested.

https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/20208

[NHE]

Thanks. Here's the abstract...

Exosomal MicroRNA Signatures in Central Nervous System Diseases
Saeideh Ebrahimkhani, University of Sydney, Sep 30, 2018

During the last decade there has been a growing interest in studying extracellular vesicles, in particular exosomes and their miRNA contents. Exosomes are released by almost all cell types. They are packed with specific information, stable against degradation processes, are small and flexible enough to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and are readily found in biological fluids including blood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in nearly every cellular process and play a regulatory role in central nervous system (CNS) associated diseases. Accordingly, exosomal miRNAs could be ideal biomarkers to measure CNS disease activity and treatment response. In this thesis, the aim was to establish a robust protocol to investigate whether the differential expression of serum exosomal miRNA can be used as a biomarker for the accurate diagnosis of the CNS diseases multiple sclerosis (MS) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), as well as for the monitoring of disease progression and treatment response. Exosomes were purified from serum and their RNA contents profiled using highthroughput sequencing. In my first study, I profiled exosome–associated miRNAs in serum samples from MS patients and identified distinct biomarkers for the diagnosis of MS and identification of the disease subtype. In my second study, I investigated the effect of treatment in MS patients. I hypothesised that the deregulation of serum exosomal miRNAs is associated with the efficacy of therapy and is predictive of MS activity phases. Finally, I studied serum exosomal miRNA profiles to discover diagnostic biomarkers for GBM, and to demonstrate the applicability of my protocol to other neurological diseases. Taken together, my results demonstrate the exceptional utility of serum exosomal miRNA profiles as a blood-based biomarker to diagnose the CNS associated diseases, using a robust and easily reproducible protocol.