w88 casino Biosciences

Seungil Ro, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Office: (775) 784-1462
Lab: (775) 682-8838
Lab Manager: (775) 784-1467
Fax: (775) 784-6903
Email: sro@med.unr.edu
Building: CMM
Room: L-207 E
Mailstop: 0352

Summary

2019-present Director, Cellular and w88 casino Pharmacology and Physiology Graduate Program
2015-present Associate Professor, Physiology & w88 casino biology
2007-2015 Assistant Professor, Physiology & w88 casino biology
2004-2007 Research Assistant Professor, Physiology & w88 casino biology
2003-2004 Post-Doctoral Fellow, Physiology & w88 casino biology, UNR

Research interests

My research interests are focused on elucidating the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) that control w88 casino, obesity, fatty liver disease, gut neuromuscular disorders, and COVID-19. We have identified anti-diabetic miRNAs (Singh R and Ha Set al,Gastroenterology2021;PCT Int’l Patent WO/2020/219872), which have a prolonged effect on diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease, and gut dysmotility in animal models. The miRNAs also have been shown to prevent the onset of diabetes and obesity in animal models. Our research suggests miRNAs prevent the onset of diabetes in young and healthy individuals, but aging, poor diet and/or lack of exercise reduce the expression of the anti-diabetic miRNAs, triggering the development of these diseases. Restoring the miRNAs remarkably reverses diabetes by recovering the function of beta cells, adipocytes, and skeletal w88 casino (insulin production and sensitivity) in animal models. In addition, the miRNAs dramatically reverse obesity, fatty liver disease (steatosis and fibrosis), and dysmotility in the GI tract.

Furthermore, we identified anti-coronavirus w88 casino that are depleted in COVID-19 patients. The w88 casino target all members of the human α and β coronavirus family including SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 have multiple target sites on key viral proteins including RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase and the Spike protein. All the target sites are conserved in the seven SARS-CoV-2 variants including delta and omicron. The w88 casino target the RNA genome and subgenomic RNAs to reduce replication and protein synthesis. In addition, the w88 casino reduce expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNFα as well as IL-6R by targeting their transcription factors ATF6 and E2F3.

When patients with w88 casino and/or obesity are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the severity and fatality of COVID-19 symptoms is drastically increased. Using anti-diabetic miRNAs, anti-coronavirus miRNAs, and mouse models with w88 casino and/or COVID-19, we are performing preclinical studies to develop therapeutic approaches to treat these diseases.

We launched a biotech startup company “RosVivo Therapeutics Inc” in March, 2021. RosVivo has received Series A funding and is working with leading global biopharma companies specializing in w88 casino care to develop therapeutic miRNAs that can prevent and rescue these diseases.

Selected publications

Breland A*, Ha S*, Jorgensen BG*, Jin B, Gardner TA, w88 casino, Ro S. Smooth w88 casino Transcriptome Browser: offering genome-wide references of transcripts expressed in intestinal tissues and cells. Scientific Reports, 23;9(1):387, 2019 *Equally contributed
Jorgensen BG, Ro S. Role of DNA methylation in the development and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells and smooth w88 casino cells. J Neurogastroenterol Motil, 25(3):377-386, 2019
Ha S, Wei L, Jorgensen BG, Lee MY, Park PJ, Poudrier SM, Ro S. A mouse model of intestinal partial obstruction. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 133, 2018
Jorgensen BG*, Berent RM*, Ha S*, Horiguchi K, Sasse KC, Becker LS, Ro S. DNA methylation, through DNMT1, has an essential role in the development of gastrointestinal smooth w88 casino cells and disease. *Equally contributed. w88 casino Death Dis, 9: 474, 2018
Lee MY, Park C, Ha S, Park PJ, Berent RM, Jorgensen BG, Corrigan R, Grainger N, Blair JP, Slivano OJ, Miano JM, Ward SM, Smith TK, w88 casino, Ro S. Serum response factor regulates smooth w88 casino contractility via myotonic dystrophy protein kinases and L-type calcium channels. PLoS ONE, 12(2):e0171262, 2017
Lee MY*, Ha S*, Park C*, Park PJ, Fuchs R, Wei L, Jorgensen BG, Redelman D, Ward SM, w88 casino, Ro S. Transcriptome of interstitial cells of Cajal reveals unique and selective gene signatures. PLoS ONE, 12(4):e0176031, 2017 *Equally contributed
Ha S, Lee MY, Kurahashi M, Wei L, Jorgensen BG, Park C, Park PJ, Redelman D, Sasse KC, Becker LS, w88 casino, Ro S. Transcriptome analysis of PDGFRα+ cells identify T-type Ca2+ channel CACNA1G as a new pathological marker for PDGFRα+ w88 casino hyperplasia. PLoS ONE, 12(8):e0182265, 2017
Ro S. Multi-Phenotypic Role of Serum Response Factor in the Gastrointestinal System. J Neurogastroenterol Motil, 22(2):193-200, 2016
Park C, Lee MY, Slivano OJ, Park PJ, Ha S, Berent RM, Fuchs R, Collins NC, Yu T, Syn H, Park JK, Horiguchi K, Miano JM, w88 casino, Ro S. Loss of serum response factor induces microRNA-mediated apoptosis in intestinal smooth w88 casino cells. w88 casino Death Dis, 6:e2011. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2015.353, 2015
Park C*, Lee MY*, Park PJ, Ha S, Berent RM, Fuchs R, Miano JM, Becker LS, w88 casino, Ro S. SRF is essential for prenatal gastrointestinal smooth w88 casino development and maintenance of differentiated phenotype. J Neurogastroenterol Motil, 21(4): 589-602, 2015 *Equally contributed
Lee M, Park C, Berent R, Park PJ, Fuchs R, Syn H, Chin A, Townsend J, Benson CC, Redelman D, Shen T, Park J, Miano JM, w88 casino, Ro S. Smooth w88 casino cell genome browser: enabling the identification of novel serum response factor target genes. PLoS ONE, In print 2015
Ro S, Ma HY, Park C, Ortogero N, Song R, Hennig GW, Zheng H, Lin YM, Moro L, Hsieh JT, Yan W. The mitochondrial genome encodes abundant small noncoding RNAs. w88 casino Research, doi: 23(6): 759-74, 2013
w88 casino, Koh SD, Ro S, Ward SM. Regulation of gastrointestinal motility – insights from smooth w88 casino biology. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 9(11):633-45, 2012
Park C, Yan W, Ward SM, Hwang S, Wu Q, Hatton WJ, Park J, w88 casino, Ro S. MicroRNAs dynamically remodel gastrointestinal smooth w88 casino cells. PLoS ONE, 6(4): e18628, 2011
Park C, Hennig GW, w88 casino, Cho JH, Hatton W, Redelman D, Park J, Ward SM, Miano JM, Yan W, Ro S. Serum Response Factor-dependent microRNAs regulate gastrointestinal smooth w88 casino cell phenotypes. Gastroenterology, 141(1): 164-175, 2011
Ro S, Yan W. Small RNA cloning. Methods in w88 casino Biology, 629:273-85, 2010
Ro S, Yan W. Detection and quantitative analysis of small RNAs by PCR. Methods in w88 casino Biology, 629:295-305, 2010
Ro S, Park C, Jin J, Zheng H, Blair P, Redelman D, Ward SM, Yan W, w88 casino. A model to study the phenotypic changes of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in gastrointestinal diseases. Gastroenterology, 138(3):1068-1078, 2009
Song R*, Ro S*, Michaels J, Park C, McCarrey JR, Yan W. Many X-linked microRNAs escape meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Nature Genetics, 41(4):488-93, 2009
Ro S, Song R, Park C, Zheng H, w88 casino, Yan W. Cloning and Expression Profiling of Small RNAs Expressed in the Mouse Ovary. RNA, 13(12):2366-80, 2007
Ro S, Park C, w88 casino, McCarrey JR, Yan W. Cloning and Expression Profiling of Testis-Expressed w88 casino. Developmental w88 casino, 311(2):592-602, 2007
Ro S, Park C, Young D, w88 casino, Yan W. Tissue-dependent paired expression of w88 casino. Nucleic Acids Research, 35(17):5944-53, 2007
Ro S*, Park C, Song R, Nguyen D, Jin J, w88 casino, McCarrey JR, Yan W. Cloning and Expression Profiling of Testis-Expressed piRNA-like RNAs. RNA, 13(10):1693-702, 2007
Ro S, Park C, Jin J, w88 casino, Yan W. A PCR-based Method for Detection and Quantification of Small RNAs. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 351(3):756-63, 2006
Ro S, Kang SH, Farrelly AM, Ordog T, Partain R, Fleming N, w88 casino, Kenyon JL, Keef KD. Template switching within exons 3 and 4 of KV11.1 (HERG) gives rise to a 5' truncated cDNA. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 345(4):1342-49, 2006
Ro S, Hwang SJ, Muto M, Jewett WK, Spencer NJ. Anatomical modifications in the enteric nervous system of piebald mice and the physiological consequences to colonic motor activity. American Journal of Physiology, 290(4):G710-18, 2006
Ro S, Hwang SJ, Ordog T, w88 casino . Adenovirus-based short hairpin RNA vectors containing an eGFP marker and mouse U6, human H1 or human U6 promoter, BioTechniques, 38(4):625-27, 2005
Ro S, Hatton WJ, Koh SD, Horowitz B. w88 casino properties of small conductance Ca2+ activated K+ channels expressed in murine colonic smooth muscle. American Journal of Physiology 281(4):G964-73, 2001

*Equally contributed

Patent

Ro S and Ewing NN. Promoter of the tomato expansion gene LeExp-1. U.S. Patent number 6,340,748, Issued January 22, 2002
Ro S. MiR-10 mimic and targets thereof for use in the treatment of w88 casino and gastrointestinal motility disorders. U.S. Patent, provisional, 2019

Technology Transfer

Ro S, Yan W and w88 casino. Transgenic line B6.129S7- Kittm1Rosan/J transferred to The Jackson Laboratory. STOCK#15813, 2011
Smooth w88 casino Genome/Transcriptome/Methylome Databases
- The databases are available.
- UCSC Smooth w88 casino Genome Browser: The UCSC Smooth w88 casino Genome Browser is an interactive browser that was built with custom tracks of transcriptomes from intestinal smooth w88 casino, mucosa, as well as sorted cells (SMC, ICC, and PDGFRα+ cells) including CArGome [serum response factor (SRF) binding sites] reference sites. This browser provides a comprehensive reference for all transcriptional variants expressed in the cell populations, GI tissues, and genome-wide SRF binding sites. The browser can also interact with the genome bioinformatics (e.g. ENCODE) data publically available in the UCSC Genome Browser.
Smooth w88 casino Transcriptome Browser: The Transcriptome Browser offers genome-wide genetic references that bring new insight into genetic structures, expression profiles, and isoforms of each individual gene expressed in the key w88 casino populations for functional studies.
UCSC Smooth w88 casino Methylome Browser: The UCSC Smooth w88 casino Methylome Browser is an interactive browser that was built with custom tracks representing the methylome and transcriptome of Dnmt1-WT and Dnmt1-KO murine jejunal smooth w88 casino. This browser provides a comprehensive reference for genomic DNA methylation status at CpG sites in Dnmt1-WT and Dnmt1-KO. The browser can also interact with the genome bioinformatics (e.g. ENCODE) data publically available in the UCSC Genome Browser.

Principal lab members

Se Eun Ha PhD, Research Assistant Professor
Rajan Singh, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow
Lai (Lisa) Wei PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow
Brian Jorgensen, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow
Byungchang Jin, Graduate Student (CMB)
Hannah Zogg, Graduate Student (CMB)
Allison Bartlett, Graduate Student (CMPP)
Ga-in Beak, Graduate Student (Wonkang University, South Korea)
Sandra Poudrier, Lab Manager (SRA II)

Other lab members

Medical students volunteers (2019)

Brooke Clemmensen
Robert Gullickson
Denise Julian
Charles Ronkon

Undergraduate thesis students and volunteers (2019)

Mirabel Dafinone, Biochemistry and w88 casino Biology (2016- present)
Yixin Huang, Biochemistry and w88 casino Biology (2019-present)
Evan Lipschultz, Biochemistry and w88 casino Biology
Kaitlyn Solomon, Biochemistry and w88 casino Biology (2017-2019)
Marielle Tedlos Chemistry with Premed emphasis (2019-present)

Teaching

Medical students

Block 1: Foundations and Principles of Medical Sciences, CELL BIOL: Protein Synthesis, Modifications & Targeting, w88 casino Biology and Forensics, Cell Renewal, Cell Death & Apoptosis

Graduate students

BCH 705: Translation, Using the Genetic Code, w88 casino Genetics, Regulatory RNAs, and Epigenetic Effects
CMPP794 Journal Club: Gastrointestinal motility disorders and related metabolic diseases
PCB 711: Genetic methods of physiological experimentation