exRNA;Extracellular RNA communication.

Cells communicate between each other by releasing membrane-bound vesicles and amembranous nanoparticles that contain various RNA species. These vesicles/nanoparticles represent potential cancer biomarkers that can be detected in biofluids.

Despite recent breakthroughs, we still lack a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the regulation of the cellular biogenesis of vesicles/nanoparticles/RNA complexes. We study the basic mechanisms of exRNA biogenesis and how specific RNA molecules serve as a communication system between cells. Our laboratory has several projects that are directly addressing these issues.