606 research outputs found
and Their Role in Cancer
No full textMicroribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are short, noncoding RNAs that act as post-transcription regulators and are able to modulate the expression of hundreds of target genes. In the past few years, they gained a very important role in oncology. Indeed, many of them can be now considered tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes. In cancer, they appeared to have a dysregulated expression due to genetic aberrations, altered methylation or irregular processing that finally lead to an altered modulation of their target genes.
Each cancer type displayed specific alterations of specific miRNAs, and their exceptional stability confer to miRNAs a strong potential as cancer therapeutics. Finally, miRNAs are stable and detectable as circulating molecules in blood of cancer patients. For this reason they are going to become useful biomarkers in cancer diagnostics
Progetto triennale AIRC (MFAG 2011). Titolo: Circulating microRNAs as cancer-specific biomarkers
No full textAn important area in cancer research is the identification of tumor markers that might improve the early diagnosis of cancer patients and reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with the disease. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been added to the panel of plasma-detected biomarkers thanks to their cancer-specificity, high stability and the availability of assays able to quantify their level.
In addition, recent studies report the association between the deregulated expression of several miRNAs and the response to treatments, prognosis and metastatic potential of malignancies. The determination of miRNAs expression in cancerous tissue, however, requires the availability of tissue specimens which may represent a problem in non surgically treated patients. The availability of blood-circulating markers might overcome the limits of tissue sampling being non invasive and repeatable over time.
Using a microarray technology, we hereby propose to identify different sets of plasma miRNAs whose levels are indeed associated with each of the following cancer types: breast, gastrointestinal (gastric and colorectum), lung, pancreatic, melanoma, thyroid and hepatocellular. Circulating cancer-specific miRNAs will be compared to the miRNA profile of control populations (age-matched healthy subjects or cirrhotic patients for hepatocellular carcinoma). Cancer-associated miRNAs will be validated in an independent population of patients using a quantitative approach; their correlation with clinical-pathological information will be also investigated.
Finally, miRNA levels will be monitored after surgery, according to patients follow-up schedules, in order to verify if they can possibly predict cancer recurrence.
This study aims therefore (i) to assay plasma levels of circulating miRNAs as possible markers of increased risk of cancer development, (ii) to define a profile of circulating miRNAs characterizing cancers at different stages and (iii) to assess a panel of circulating miRNAs as possible early predictors of cancer recurrence after curative treatments.
If this project will be successful, a new panel of sensitive and specific biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognostic risk assessment will be available
Quantification of circulating micrornas by droplet digital PCR
No full textMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are released in the blood as cell-free molecules either linked to Ago proteins and LDL or enveloped inside exosomes and microvescicles. The amount of specific circulating microRNAs has been discovered to change accordingly to a disease state and to be potentially used as a disease biomarker. Sensitive and accurate methods for circulating microRNA quantification using probe-based or dye-based digital PCR technology have been developed. With a digital PCR system it is possible to obtain the absolute quantification of specific miRNAs, bypassing several issues related to low abundance targets and miRNA normalization. This chapter addresses the workflow and methods for miRNA assessment in biological fluids using EvaGreen-based droplet digital PCR as well as how to analyze and interpret results
MicroRNAs as biomarker of Parkinson disease? Small but mighty.
No full textComment on
Overexpression of blood microRNAs 103a, 30b, and 29a in L-dopa-treated patients with PD. [Neurology. 2015
MicroRNA Expression Profiling and Its Clinical Impact in Breast Cancer
No full textBreast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide.
Gene expression studies have been used over the last decades to defi ne the signature of different breast cancer subtypes and to predict outcome and response to therapies.
Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been linked to several human diseases, including cancer. An aberrant miRNA expression in breast cancer was fi rst reported in 2005. Now, an increasing body of experimental evidences supports the role of these small molecules in the tumorigenic process and their potential use as cancer specifi c biomarkers. Indeed, miRNAs are detectable as circulating molecules in the blood. In this chapter, we summarize our knowledge about the involvement of miRNAs in breast cancer and their potential as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools
Micro-markers: microRNAs in cancer diagnosis and prognosis
No full textMolecular diagnostics in cancer should provide the highest specificity and sensitivity in classification, prognostic stratification and early detection. MicroRNAs could contribute to hit the mark, or at least to come nearer, in virtue of their cancer-specific expression and stability. Indeed, differently from other RNA classes, microRNAs can be detected and quantified not only in frozen tissues, but also in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissues as well as serum/plasma samples. Thus, microRNA studies have quickly moved from research on the molecular basis of cancer to areas of clinical application. This review summarizes the potential role of microRNAs as molecular markers for cancer classification, prognostic stratification and drug-response prediction. It also summarizes their potential as circulating markers and cancer-predisposing genes. If we consider that studies on microRNAs in cancer therapy have already given important contributions, microRNAs already had an impact in all cancer areas. Whether this will translate into clinical applications is still too early to say. However, in the diagnostic field, microRNAs may already represent an improvement over presently available approaches: for example, their expression profile is effective in the identification of metastasis tissue of origin. In addition, circulating microRNAs are expected to provide improved specificity and/or sensitivity over presently available markers
Principles of MicroRNA Involvement in Breast Cancer
No full textEditorial on the role of microRNAs in breast cancer
The Role of Micro-RNAs in Rheumatic Diseases: An Update
No full textIn this article we summarize the new acquisitions about the growing importance of miRNAs in rheumatic diseases as pathogenetic factors, potential biomarkers and possible new therapeutic targets. We also focus on new developments about the possible role of miRNA in the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) on the basis of our recent experimental results
Due antiche sillogi decameroniane a Udine e una rigatura inconsueta
No full textIl contributo propone un’analisi paleografica e codicologica del cod. 30 della Biblioteca Comunale A. Joppi di Udine, un testimone formato da tre fascicoli privi di legatura, contenente una breve scelta antologica di parti del Decameron (nov. III, 10; introduzione alla giornata IV, nov. X, 5). Il manoscritto fu confezionato sul finire del Trecento da Domenego Caronelli, un copista-letterato di Conegliano cui si deve anche la copia di un Centonovelle completo (Vaticano Rossiano 947). Le carte udinesi appaiono come un esempio di circolazione di novelle decameroniane alla spicciolata, inserite in un contenitore di testo di difficile definizione, ma certamente solo in parte assimilabile all’usuale forma di scritturazione libraria
Settling the uncertainty about unconventional circulating tumor cells: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell fusion and trogocytosis
No full textCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) were first described 150 years ago. The so-called “classical” CTC populations (EpCAM+/CK+/CD45-) have been fully characterized and proposed as the most representative CTC subset, with clinical relevance. Nonetheless, other “atypical” or “unconventional” CTCs have also been identified, and their critical role in metastasis formation was demonstrated. In this chapter we illustrate the studies that led to the discovery of unconventional CTCs, defined as CTCs that display both epithelial and mesenchymal markers, or both cancer and immune markers, also in the form of hybrid cancer-immune cells. We also present biological explanations for the origin of these unconventional CTCs: epithelial to mesenchymal transition, cell-cell fusion and trogocytosis. We believe that a deeper knowledge on the biology of CTCs is needed to fully elucidate their role in cancer progression and their use as cancer biomarkers
- …
