ROS Theses Repository

View Item 
  •   ROS Home
  • Engineering & Physical Sciences
  • Doctoral Theses (Engineering & Physical Sciences)
  • View Item
  •   ROS Home
  • Engineering & Physical Sciences
  • Doctoral Theses (Engineering & Physical Sciences)
  • View Item
  •   ROS Home
  • Engineering & Physical Sciences
  • Doctoral Theses (Engineering & Physical Sciences)
  • View Item
  • Admin
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Skeletal muscle microRNA's in human cancer cachexia and type 2 diabetes

View/Open
McGregorRA_0909_eps.pdf (20.64Mb)
Date
2009-09
Author
McGregor, Robin A.
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
MicroRNAs are powerful post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and are biomarkers of chronic diseases such as cancer. This thesis explores the role of microRNAs in human cancer cachexia and Type 2 diabetes. MicroRNA expression was measured in skeletal muscle biopsies using RT-qPCR. In pancreatic cancer cachexia patients, expression of microRNA-1, microRNA-133a, microRNA-133b and microRNA-206 was negatively related to weight loss. In Type 2 diabetes skeletal muscle, microRNA-133a and microRNA-206 expression was down-regulated, but there was no evidence of altered microRNA transcription or processing and target expression was unchanged. Importantly, microRNA-133a expression predicted fasting glucose, glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, and therefore may be a biomarker of Type 2 diabetes. Experimental validation of microRNA arrays was unsuccessful in identifying further novel cancer cachexia and Type 2 diabetes microRNA biomarkers. MicroRNA knockdown validated CDC42 and PTBP1 as microRNA-133a targets in myoblasts. In addition, muscle microRNA expression may be regulated by insulin and TNFa. In conclusion, microRNA-133a may be a skeletal muscle biomarker of Type 2 diabetes and cancer cachexia, microRNA-133a responds to extracellular insulin and TNFa, but it remains to be established whether microRNA-133a contributes to cancer cachexia or Type 2 diabetes pathogenesis.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10399/2308
Collections
  • Doctoral Theses (Engineering & Physical Sciences)

Browse

All of ROSCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitles

ROS Administrator

LoginRegister
©Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK EH14 4AS.

Maintained by the Library
Tel: +44 (0)131 451 3577
Library Email: libhelp@hw.ac.uk
ROS Email: open.access@hw.ac.uk

Scottish registered charity number: SC000278

  • About
  • Copyright
  • Accessibility
  • Policies
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • Feedback
AboutCopyright
AccessibilityPolicies
Privacy & Cookies
Feedback
 
©Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK EH14 4AS.

Maintained by the Library
Tel: +44 (0)131 451 3577
Library Email: libhelp@hw.ac.uk
ROS Email: open.access@hw.ac.uk

Scottish registered charity number: SC000278

  • About
  • Copyright
  • Accessibility
  • Policies
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • Feedback
AboutCopyright
AccessibilityPolicies
Privacy & Cookies
Feedback