Deciphering RNA-mediated mechanisms mediating liver disease protection

Deciphering new links between genotype and phenotype of healthy and diseased cells is an intense area of investigation.

The genetic regulation by RNA, termed riboregulation, is essential to maintain cellular homeostasis, coordinating cell plasticity and preventing malignant cell transformation throughout the human lifespan. However, the impact of riboregulation in controlling these cellular processes remains largely unknow.

We argue that RNA binding proteins (RBPs) govern these processes.

Our proposed study aims to fill current knowledge gaps in riboregulation by (1) comprehensively characterizing RBP-RNA interactions at the physiological and pathological level in liver, (2) understanding cellular and molecular defects of RBP-mediated RNA processing in reversible and irreversible liver diseases and (3) deciphering underlying mechanisms of riboregulation to advance biomedical research.

To successfully explore and expand this promising research area of riboregulation, we designed an integrative multiomics study based on our unique preliminary data. Altogether, our study will generate new insight into how riboregulation is altered in pathological cell stages.

We envision that our findings provide targets for treatment and may open new possibilities in the development of innovative RNA-based therapeutics.