Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Interactions between RNA and proteins have traditionally been studied inside the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells. It is therefore surprising that patients suffering from autoimmune disorders such as Lupus produce antibodies-a process that occurs outside the cell-against intracellular RNA binding proteins. The recent discovery of RNA on the cell surface may provide potential clues as to how RNA binding proteins are found outside the cell in order to be targeted in autoimmune diseases. Still, a detailed mechanistic understanding of this process, and how it contributes to disease progression, is lacking. This proposal is focused on understanding how the presentation of RNA and RNA binding proteins on the cell surface changes in patients with autoimmune diseases or in response to stress on the immune system. By identifying new RNA binding proteins on the cell surface and exploring how these proteins move to the surface, I aim to uncover the link between RNA biology and cell surface biology, thereby highlighting RNA and RNA binding proteins as a potential diagnostic tool or therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases.