Understanding the language of complex disease: how non-coding RNAs provide a means of cell-to-cell communication via a process of intercellular epigen

外泌体曾经被认为只不过是细胞排出废物的一种方式，现在人们认识到外泌体是细胞分泌RNA、DNA和蛋白质的一种经过深思熟虑的方式，以重塑组织并充当信号载体。这些被忽视的细胞器可能是了解患病组织如何与身体其他部分交流的关键。以癌症为模型，我们的工作首次研究了前列腺癌外泌体产生的外泌体RNA如何选择性地重新编程骨细胞，以创造一个支持肿瘤生长的良好环境（转移前生态位），促进癌症在前列腺外扩散并进入骨。该项目将通过探索前列腺癌囊泡中发现的非编码RNA分子的作用，建立在这一前沿研究项目的基础上。通过开发新的工具和方法，该项目将试图确定这些囊泡的非编码RNA货物是否能够介导细胞间的表观遗传通讯。

Once thought to be little more than a way for cells to offload waste, exosomes are now recognised to be a deliberate way for a cell to secrete cargos of RNA, DNA and proteins to reshape tissue and act as signal carriers. These somewhat overlooked organelles may hold the key to understanding how diseased tissues communicate with the rest of the body. Using cancer as a model, our work is the first to look at how the RNA cargo of exosomes produced by prostate cancer exosomes can selectively reprogramme the cells of the bone to create a nice that is supportive of tumour growth (pre-metastatic niche) promoting the spread of the cancer outside of the prostate and into the bone.This project will build upon this cutting-edge programme of research by exploring the role of the non-coding RNA molecules found within prostate cancer vesicles. Through the development of novel tools and approaches, the project will seek to determine if the non-coding RNA cargo of these vesicles is capable of mediating cell-to-cell epigenetic communication.