Project description:Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a squamous cell carcinoma arising from the nasopharynx epithelium. So far, there have been no effective biomarkers to predict the radiosensitivity of NPC. Based on miRNA profile screened out from NPC patients with different radiosensitivity, this study was conducted to explore the correlation between serum miRNAs and radiotherapy response in NPC, and to identify biomarkers for predicting the radiosensitivity of NPC.
Project description:Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common acquired heart disease in large- and giant-breed dogs with Doberman Pinschers representing one of the most frequently affected breeds. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs which play important roles in gene regulation. Different miRNA expression patterns have been described for human DCM and might represent potential diagnostic markers. There are no studies to date investigating miRNA expression profiles in canine DCM. Goals: The goals of this study were to screen the miRNAs expression profile of canine serum by using a miRNA microarray platform and to compare the miRNA expression patterns of a group of Doberman Pinschers with DCM and healthy controls. Results: Although total RNA concentrations were very low in canine serum samples, 421 different miRNAs were detectable with sufficient signal intensity on the miRNA microarrays. About 30 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the two groups, but did not reach statistical significance. No significant differences were found using specific miRNA PCR assays. Conclusions: More than 400 miRNAs can be detected in canine serum samples. Changes in expression levels of various miRNAs between healthy and DCM dogs could be detected, but the results did not reach statistical significance most probably due to the small group size. miRNAs are potential new circulating biomarkers in veterinary medicine and should be investigated in larger patient groups and additional canine diseases