Identification of circulating microRNA signatures as potential biomarkers in the serum of elk infected with chronic wasting disease.

ABSTRACT: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging infectious prion disorder that is spreading rapidly in wild populations of cervids in North America. The risk of zoonotic transmission of CWD is as yet unclear but a high priority must be to minimize further spread of the disease. No simple diagnostic tests are available to detect CWD quickly or in live animals; therefore, easily accessible biomarkers may be useful in identifying infected animals. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNA molecules that circulate in blood and are promising biomarkers for several infectious diseases. In this study we used next-generation sequencing to characterize the serum miRNA profiles of 35 naturally infected elk that tested positive for CWD in addition to 35 elk that tested negative for CWD. A

SUBMITTER: Slota JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6928025 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature