Shalini Paul
| Position | PhD Student |
|---|---|
| Department | Department of Physiology |
| Qualifications | MTech in biotechnology |
| Research summary | Investigating the therapeutic effects of microRNAs in diabetic wounds |
Research
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), often referred to as the ‘silent killer’, is a condition when the body becomes unable to efficiently utilise insulin or cannot produce enough insulin to process the amount of glucose in the blood. Patients with T2DM are prone to developing chronic ulcers, also known as diabetic wound. This wound is associated with poor blood flow in the affected region (reduced angiogenesis), increased inflammation and nerve damage, which leads to limb amputation in worst cases.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), are a class of small, (18-28 nucleotides long) non-coding RNA molecules, involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, in normal as well as in pathological cellular processes. The Katare lab has previously shown that the downregulation of endothelial cell-enriched miRNAs (angiomiRs- as it promotes angiogenesis), miR-126 is associated with diabetes-induced vascular complications in the heart.
We plan to perform an Exosome-mediated microRNA delivery into the diabetic wound and determine their mechanism of action, as well as their preclinical efficacy.
Publications
Paul, S., Ali, A., & Katare, R. (2020). Molecular complexities underlying the vascular complications of diabetes mellitus: A comprehensive review. Journal of Diabetes & Its Complications, 34, 107613. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2020.107613
