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DTSTAMP:20260602T065233Z
DTSTART:20260603T180000Z
DTEND:20260603T190000Z
SUMMARY:BIEN Seminar Series: Dr. Hirosha Geekiyanage\, UC Merced
DESCRIPTION:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs\, typically 21–2
 2 nucleotides in length\, that regulate gene expression by base-pairing wi
 th complementary mRNA targets. This regulation is mediated by Argonaute 2 
 (AGO2)\, the catalytic component of the miRNA-induced silencing complex (m
 iRISC)\, leading to translational repression or mRNA degradation. While mi
 RNAs are well established as intracellular gene regulators\, extracellular
  miRNAs are also found in body fluids such as blood and cerebrospinal flui
 d. To date\, extracellular miRNAs have been regarded primarily as biomarke
 rs reflecting the pathophysiology of their cells of origin. Our studies de
 monstrate that extracellular miRNAs in blood plasma and CSF are predominan
 tly contained within AGO2 complexes and retain the ability to base-pair wi
 th complementary RNA targets in a seed-dependent\, bona fide miRISC manner
 . These findings raise a fundamental question: can miRISC exported from do
 nor cells into the extracellular milieu be taken up by recipient cells to 
 regulate their endogenous gene expression? Our research addresses this que
 stion by systematically evaluating the structural integrity\, uptake mecha
 nisms and regulatory capacity of extracellular miRISC in recipient cells
 —thereby challenging the prevailing dogma that miRNA function is confine
 d to their cells of origin and establishing a new framework for intercellu
 lar RNA signaling. The impact of this work is twofold. First\, it will red
 efine fundamental miRNA biology by overturning the prevailing view that ex
 tracellular miRNAs are merely passive byproducts or biomarkers. Instead\, 
 it will establish extracellular miRNAs as active mediators of intercellula
 r signaling and gene regulation across cells and tissues\, revealing a pre
 viously unrecognized mode of cell-cell communication that could transform 
 our understanding of biological function across scale. Second\, the findin
 gs will lay the foundation for a novel RNA delivery platform. The 2024 Nob
 el Prize awarded for the discovery of miRNAs underscores the field’s tra
 nsformative potential and its far-reaching implications for fundamental bi
 ology and therapeutic innovation.\n\n \n\nBiography: Hirosha established h
 er lab as an Assistant Professor at the University of California\, Merced 
 in 2023. She earned her PhD in Genetics from Michigan State University and
  has extensive training in microRNA (miRNA) biology. She completed her pos
 tdoctoral research with Dr. Victor Ambros\, recipient of the 2024 Nobel Pr
 ize for the discovery of miRNAs. Hirosha’s prior work identified miRNAs 
 that regulate amyloid-β levels in the brain\, contributing to Alzheimer
 ’s disease\, and demonstrated that miRNAs can serve as both therapeutic 
 targets and non-invasive early diagnostic biomarkers for Alzheimer’s dis
 ease. In addition\, her research identified that infectivity of the oncoly
 tic measles virus can be modulated by miRNAs when used as a therapeutic in
 tervention for glioblastoma\, breast\, and ovarian cancers. At UC Merced\,
  the Geekiyanage Lab focuses on elucidating the mechanisms governing miRNA
  export from cells\, their delivery to naïve recipient cells\, and their 
 regulatory functions—work that aims to establish new therapeutic platfor
 ms and strategies. Hirosha teaches Fundamentals of Molecular Biology and B
 iomolecular Engineering at UC Merced.
LOCATION:Winston Chung Hall\, 205/206
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