CURRENT RESEARCH
Position Details: Research Assistant, University of Virginia, Laboratory of Dr. Roger Abounader
Position Length:10/2022 – PRESENT
Project Title: Elucidating the role of microRNA 380-3p and microRNA 1185-5p in Glioblastoma tumorigenesis.
Project summary: My particular interest in studying Glioblastoma (GBM), a primary malignant brain tumor currently considered to be severely under-studied within the medical community, compelled me to further study the effects of microRNAs on the modulation of the cell cycle and in determining the effects that these microRNAs pose in GBM tumorigenesis. MicroRNA represents a subtype of RNA termed “non-coding RNA”, which makes up ~98% of the total RNA within the body. I have set out to investigate the role and function of microRNA 380-3p and microRNA 1185-5p in Glioblastoma. Thus far, we have performed a Photoactivatable-Ribonucleoside-Enhanced Crosslinking and Immunoprecipitation (PAR-CLiP) assay to identify potential microRNA targets. We have applied a bioinformatic scoring algorithm to determine whether microRNA 380-3p and microRNA 1185-5p have a tumor-suppressive or oncogenic role in GBM by comparing and correlating endogenous expression levels, frequency of deregulation, magnitude of deregulation, and correlation with survival. Preliminary results from our scoring algorithm have led me to hypothesize that microRNA 380-3p and microRNA 1185-5p may have a tumor-suppressive role in GBM tumorigenesis. Presently, I am preparing to perform a variety of cancer malignancy parameter assays in order to elucidate the significance of microRNA 380-3p and microRNA 1185-5p on cell accumulation and invasion using an in-vitro tissue-culture model utilizing the GBM cancer cell lines: A172, U87, and U251.

Publication: Hanif, F., Zhang, Y., Dube, C., Gibert, M. K., Saha, S., Hudson, K., Marcinkiewicz, P.,Kefas, B., Guessous, F., & Abounader, R. (2023). miR-3174 is a new tumor suppressor MicroRNA that inhibits several tumor-promoting genes in glioblastoma. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(11).https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119326

Publication: Gibert, M. K., Zhang, Y., Saha, S., Marcinkiewicz, P., Dube, C., Hudson, K., Sun, Y., Bednarek, S., Chagari, B., Sarkar, A., Roig-Laboy, C., Neace, N., Saoud, K., Setiady, I., Hanif, F., Kumar, P., Kefas, B., & Abounader, R. . A First Comprehensive Analysis of Transcribed Ultra Conserved Regions Uncovers Important Regulatory Functions of Novel Non-Coding Transcripts in Gliomas. (pending) https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.12.557444

Review article: Hudson, K., Mondia, M. W., Zhang, Y., Saha, S., Gibert, M. K., Jr, Dube, C., Sun, Y., Marcinkiewicz, P., Fadul, C., & Abounader, R. (2024). The role of microRNAs in brain metastasis. Journal of neuro-oncology, 166(2), 231–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-023-04541-x