Recognition for Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program paper

Sydney Medical School academics at the Centenary Institute’s Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program have recently received recognition as a Research Highlight from the prestigious international journal Nature Methods for their paper published earlier this year. John Rasko, William Ritchie, Megha Rajasekhar and Stephane Flamant sought to find a reverse approach to discover the impact of microRNAs on gene expression, searching for microRNA signatures rather than specific targets of a given microRNA. They then compared human and mice signatures across multiple tissues and developed a novel algorithm that they showed could predict microRNA targets. Their paper, Conserved Expression Patterns Predict microRNA Targets, can be read online.

Professor John Rasko is a Haematologist who directs Cell and Molecular Therapies at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and heads the Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program at the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine & Cell Biology, University of Sydney. Dr William Ritchie is an NHMRC Training Fellow, Dr Stephane Flamant is a Research Officer and Ms Megha Rajasekhar is a doctoral student in the Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program.