Profiling of miRNAs Expressed by B-1 Cells During Aging

• Grant number: 25/19569-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Ana Flavia Popi
• Grantee: Alana Simal Marques
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

MicroRNAs are small non-coding molecules that regulate gene expression through mRNA cleavage or translational repression, influencing various biological processes, including apoptosis. Alterations in miRNA expression are associated with hyperproliferative diseases, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), in which miR-15a and miR-16-1 - negative regulators of Bcl-2 - show reduced expression, favoring abnormal cell survival. B-1 cells, a distinct subpopulation of B lymphocytes, increase in number with aging and may contribute to the pathogenesis of CLL due to apoptosis resistance and changes in the miRNA profile. Previous studies from our group have shown that B-1 cell precursors from aged animals present radioresistance and downregulation of miR-15a/16-1. This project aims to investigate whether such alterations persist in mature B-1 cells, assessing the profile of apoptosis-related miRNAs throughout aging and their impact on cell proliferation and survival.Thus, evaluating the miRNA profile expressed by B-1 cells over aging through a comparative PCR array between B-1 cells from young and aged mice, and validating the differentially expressed miRNAs by RT-qPCR, may provide important insights into the understanding and development of CLL.