Role of mitochondria-related micro-RNAs in obesity-induced human MSC dysfunction

Obesity remains a significant health problem that affects above 30% of Minnesotans. Obesity increases susceptibility to injury by interfering with mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), which reside in many organs and tissues, and promote local repair, making exogenous delivery of MSCs an attractive therapeutic tool. However, the mechanisms by which obesity injures human MSCs, and the impact of these alterations on their reparative capacity, remain unknown. This proposal will test whether altered expression of mitochondria-related microRNAs underlies obesity-induced MSC mitochondrial damage, blunting the paracrine function and capacity of human MSCs to repair the kidney.