Brustkrebs: Aktuelle Forschung

Abstrakt

From bench to bedside - microRNAs for monitoring treatment success and stratification of cancer patients.

J.C. Hahne

The use of molecular biological methods especially droplet-digital PCR and NanoString technology offer several possibilities for translational research and cancer patient stratification. Some examples based on microRNA expression in solid tumours will be discussed. MicroRNAs are pivotal regulators for RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression under physiological as well as pathological conditions. MicroRNAs can be detected in tissues and in most biologic fluids including serum, plasma and urines. Secreted microRNAs are either incorporated into micro-vesicles or circulate bound to proteins. In both cases microRNAs are protected from RNase degradation so that they may remain intact for long periods of time. Therefore they might represent potential new biomarkers. We analysed expression of 800 miRNA’s using nCounter NanoString technology in cancer cell lines, formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues and plasma from cancer patients. Potential clinical applications of microRNA detection for cancer patients’ management will be discussed.