Carolyn Lee

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts >200 nucleotides in length that do not encode proteins. Once presumed to be transcriptional noise due to low levels of evolutionary conservation, they are increasingly recognized as important regulators of gene expression that control diverse cellular processes and are associated with human disease. The identification of lncRNAs that impact homeostasis and are altered in disease sheds light on the regulatory complexity of these processes and may provide the foundation for new therapeutic concepts. The goal of this project is to investigate the extent to which lncP4, a crucial regulator of epidermal homeostasis, is deregulated in diseases of abnormal epidermal differentiation and proliferation, including inherited ichthyoses and keratinocyte cancers. We will characterize lncP4’s functional contribution using models of epidermal homeostasis and cancer as well as define its interactors to understand how it regulates homeostasis in the skin and is itself regulated. This collaborative effort combines our skin cancer expertise with the Kretz lab’s extensive experience characterizing lncRNA functions and their modes of action. A successful demonstration of lncP4’s ability to correct disease-associated homeostatic imbalances will justify future efforts directed at skin-directed lncP4 delivery.