Research Scholar AwardSOLAR AwardURO Undergraduate Summer FellowshipOSU Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research ScholarshipInfluenza has an extensive history of crippling global populations and remains prevalent due to a high mutation rate. This feature of influenza explains why new vaccines are developed and administered annually, yet no effective treatment for severe cases exist. Previous findings have shown an increase of certain microRNAs (miRs) in response to influenza infection. Examining the role of these molecules, specifically miR-155, may reveal critical knowledge on disease development. This small nucleic acid's expression increases consistently over a 6-day course of influenza infection in a murine model (C57BL/6). This leads us to believe that miR-155 plays an important role in the inflammatory response to influenza infection, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a condition of major clinical relevance. Alveolar type 2 (ATII) cells are a key cell type in the distal lung and are also a primary target for influenza A viruses. Infected and non-infected population of these cells can be isolated by utilizing a genetically engineered fluorescent virus and flow-sorting based on fluorescence. Subsequent real-time PCR allows for quantification of miR-155 and its target genes. miR-155 levels are higher in mCherry-positive ATII cells compared to mCherry-negative cells from mice infected with fluorescent PR8-mCherry influenza virus. Target genes of miR-155, including antiviral factors and regulators of cytokine production, have been shown to differ in expression between virally infected and uninfected populations ATII cells of the same mouse. The information drawn from this project may lead to identification of new targets for therapeutic agents which enhance the host's immune capability to fight off newly emerging strains of influenza.ATS Foundation Recognition Award for Outstanding Established InvestigatorsNo embargoAcademic Major: Microbiolog
