Utilising renal ultrasound insonation to augment serum detection of miR biomarkers of renal injury - fibrosis and repair

该项目将利用多功能超声辐照系统，包括两个高功率单元件超声换能器（1MHz非聚焦和3.5MHz聚焦），由RF功率放大器和函数发生器驱动。这种新的技术应用将与市售微泡或内部开发的微泡的静脉内给药相结合，并用于确定干扰靶器官（肾脏）是否可以诱导microRNA分子的释放，这些分子提供了有关器官性质和结构的重要信息。在优化超声辐照系统和微泡给药后，实验将确定在正常肾脏扰动后，哪些microRNA分子在循环或尿液中增加。实验还将使用原位杂交和流式细胞术细胞分选来确定释放的microRNA分子的来源细胞。然后将开展工作，以检查从受损的异常肾脏释放到循环中的microRNA分子的性质和细胞来源。该项目将使用肾脏作为范例器官，并将开发和完善一种新的平台技术，该技术可用于询问超声可触及的其他腹部器官以及肌肉等其他组织的功能和结构。

This project will utilise a versatile ultrasound insonation system, comprising two high power single-element ultrasound transducers (1MHz unfocussed and 3.5MHz focussed) driven by an RF power amplifier and function generator. This novel technological application will be combined with the intravenous administration of both commercially available microbubbles or microbubbles developed in-house and used to determine whether perturbing a targeted organ (the kidney) can induce the release of microRNA molecules that provide important information regarding the the nature and structure of the organ. Following optimisation of the ultrasound insonation system and microbubble administration, experiments will determine which microRNA molecules are increased in the circulation or urine following perturbation of the normal kidney. Experiments will also use in situ hybridisation and flow cytometric cell sorting to define the cells of origin of the released microRNA molecules. Work will then be undertaken to examine the nature and cellular source of microRNA molecules released into the circulation from injured abnormal kidneys. This project will use the kidney as an exemplar organ and will develop and refine a new platform technology that may be used to interrogate the function and structure of other abdominal organs accessible to ultrasound as well as other tissues such as muscle etc.