The recent discovery of a novel microRNA, designated as miR-2909 in the international literature, by Prof Deepak Kaul can empower human immune T-cells to fight microbial infections and may play a crucial role in evolution of auto-immune diseases and other degenerative diseases like coronary heart disease and Cancer.
Prof Kaul’s research, at present, is directed to understand its impact as a double-edged sword in human health. The major scientific breakthrough in recent years has been that human genome holds tiny micro-Ribonucleic Acids (microRNAs) in its exquisite readout-code and this phenomenon has revolutionised the way we look at the dynamic aspect of human genome in the human health and diseased states.
“There exists a general recognition of the fact that about one-third of human genome encodes about 35,000 genes. Historically, rest of the two-third human genome was considered to be a junk DNA which every human cell had in its fold,” said Dr Paul.
The major scientific breakthrough in recent years has been that this junk DNA encodes master-regulatory molecules known as microRNAs which have the inherent capacity to regulate all the 35,000 genes responsible for human evolution.One such microRNA, designated as miR-2909 by Sanger’s miR-Base repository of microRNAs discovered across the globe, was discovered by Prof Deepak Kaul for the first time in the year 2009.
This microRNA was shown by his research group to regulate genes involved in immunity as well as cancer and coronary heart disease.Prof Kaul’s original research discovery assumes importance because this microRNA has the inherent capacity to act as a guardian of human genome through its ability to generate immune responses in order to equip our body to fight against various microbial infections as well as other auto-immune diseases.
At present, extensive work is being carried out by his research group to unfold and understand the impact of this microRNA in human health in general and modulation of immune responses in particular.