Yuya Hayashi

Yuya Hayashi says: “From an organ to another organ, cells send signals to coordinate the physiology of the entire body. A well-known example is signalling by hormones, but what if cells instead wish to deliver more complex messages than signals? A striking discovery in the past years is the packaged delivery of small RNA in nano-sized vesicles called exosomes to “stream” the RNA language over a long distance. Much remains unknown, however, about the precise context of such messages that are exchanged between cells of a living animal. This project aims to decipher the secret RNA codes delivered by exosomes starring zebrafish embryos as a research model that allows genetic manipulation to capture target exosomes and live imaging of the exosome transport through the bloodstream. Furthermore, the uncovered role of exosomes will be tested using advanced nanotechnology. The deeper understanding of the exosome-powered RNA communication between distant cells will identify novel targets for non-viral gene therapy.”