Recent publications

Chronic stress can negatively impact human health by disrupting hormonal balance in the body. Previous studies have shown increased levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone, along with certain exosomal microRNAs in the serum of breast cancer patients.

The present study titled “Cortisol affects macrophage polarization by inducing the miR-143/145 cluster to reprogram glucose metabolism and by promoting TCA cycle anaplerosis,” Dr. Seema Singh and co-authors examined how cortisol impacts certain microRNAs (miRNAs) in the blood of breast cancer (BC) patients.

In the discussion, the study identified a new way that cortisol, a stress hormone, affects macrophage function. Since the tumor microenvironment includes various cell types, it is vital to explore how cortisol impacts these other cells as well. Additionally, the findings highlight the need to investigate the role of CARMN, a long non-coding RNA linked to miR-143 and miR-145, in macrophages, as its function outside of muscle cells remains unclear.

The main finding of the study shows that cortisol changes how macrophages, a type of immune cell, use energy which affects their behavior and response to inflammation. Essentially, it highlights the important relationship between stress hormones like cortisol and how immune cells function, which can influence both health and disease.

Publication citation:
Sharma, A., Vikramdeo, K. S., Sudan, S. K., Deshmukh, S. K., Singh, A. P., & Singh, S. (2024). Cortisol affects macrophage polarization by inducing miR-143/145 cluster to reprogram glucose metabolism and by promoting TCA cycle anaplerosis. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 299(9), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107753