Issues and Prospects of microRNA-Based Biomarkers in Blood and Other Body Fluids

Cell-free circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in the blood are good diagnostic biomarker candidates for various physiopathological conditions, including cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes and other diseases. Since their discovery in 2008 as blood biomarkers, the field has expanded rapidly with a number...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: John R. Chevillet, Inyoul Lee, Hilary A. Briggs, Yuqing He, Kai Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2014-05-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/19/5/6080
Description
Summary:Cell-free circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in the blood are good diagnostic biomarker candidates for various physiopathological conditions, including cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes and other diseases. Since their discovery in 2008 as blood biomarkers, the field has expanded rapidly with a number of important findings. Despite the initial optimistic views of their potential for clinical application, there are currently no circulating miRNA-based diagnostics in use. In this article, we review the status of circulating miRNAs, examine different analytical approaches, and address some of the challenges and opportunities.
ISSN:1420-3049