{"title":"Role of microRNAs in the molecular diagnosis of cancer","authors":"S. Giglio, A. Vecchione","doi":"10.4081/jnai.2010.e4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/jnai.2010.e4","url":null,"abstract":"MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved, endogenous, small non-coding RNA molecules of about 22 nucleotides in length that function as posttranscriptional gene regulators. They are involved in numerous cellular processes including development, cell differentiation, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. There is increasing evidence to show that miRNAs are mutated or differentially expressed in many types of cancer and specific functions of the miRNAs are now becoming apparent. Here we discuss the current literature on potential usefulness of miRNAs as diagnostic markers, emphasizing the involvement of specific miRNAs in particular tumor types, highlighting their potential role in distinguishing benign from malignant tissues and/or the different subtypes of the same tumor and/or in diagnosis and classification of tumor of unknown origin.","PeriodicalId":89421,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nucleic acids investigation","volume":"42 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4081/jnai.2010.e4","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70281015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The mitochondrial housekeeping gene 16S is inappropriate as an internal standard in comparative studies of rare mitochondrial transcripts using S1-nuclease protection assays","authors":"S. Ebert, Line Breumlund, R. Nau, U. Michel","doi":"10.4081/JNAI.2010.1588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/JNAI.2010.1588","url":null,"abstract":"The analysis of rare mitochondrial transcripts derived from the L-strand of the mitochondrial genome requires a sensitive method such as the S1-nuclease protection assay. We examined whether the ribosomal mitochondrial transcript 16S is suitable as an internal standard in a multiplex S1-nuclease protection assay for the measurement of different mitochondrial transcripts. For reliable quantification of rare mitochondrial transcripts with the RNase protection assay, a minimum of 2 μg of total RNA is necessary. Standard curves of 16S RNA produced with total RNA from human kidney, liver, brain, and a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) revealed dose-response relationships that were saturated already at less than 0.5 μg of total RNA. Therefore, 16S is inappropriate as an internal standard for analyzing mitochondrial transcripts with RNase protection assays when more than 0.5 μg of total RNA have to be analyzed.","PeriodicalId":89421,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nucleic acids investigation","volume":"1 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4081/JNAI.2010.1588","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70280358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Brukner, A. Larose, I. Gorska-Flipot, M. Krajinovic, D. Labuda
{"title":"Robust hybridization-based genotyping probes for HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 obtained via in vitro selection","authors":"I. Brukner, A. Larose, I. Gorska-Flipot, M. Krajinovic, D. Labuda","doi":"10.4081/JNAI.2010.1491","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/JNAI.2010.1491","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes the technical and analytical performance of a novel set of hybridization probes for the four GARDASIL® vaccine-relevant HPV types (6, 11, 16 and 18). These probes are obtained through i n vitro selection from a pool of random oligonucleotides, rather than the traditional “rational design” approach typically used as the initial step in assay development. The type-specific segment of the HPV genome was amplified using a GP5+/6+ PCR protocol and 39 synthetic oligonucleotide templates derived from each of the HPV types, as PCR targets. The robust performance of the 4 selected hybridization probes was demonstrated by monitoring the preservation of the specificity and sensitivity of the typing assay over all 39 HPV types, using a different spectrum of HPV (genome equivalent: 103-109) and human DNA concentrations (10-100 ng) as well as temperature and buffer composition variations. To the Authors’ knowledge, this is a unique hybridization-based multiplex typing assay. It performs at ambient temperatures, does not require the strict temperature control of hybridization conditions, and is functional with a number of different non-denaturing buffers, thereby offering downstream compatibility with a variety of detection methods. Studies aimed at demonstrating clinical performance are needed to validate the applicability of this strategy.","PeriodicalId":89421,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nucleic acids investigation","volume":"1 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4081/JNAI.2010.1491","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70280247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Induced pluripotent stem cells: the long-expected revolution in medical science and practice?","authors":"A. Sorrentino","doi":"10.4081/JNAI.2010.1625","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/JNAI.2010.1625","url":null,"abstract":"Within the matter of a few years, development of the somatic reprogramming technology to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has contributed enormously to the stem cell research field. We learned that differentiated adult cells possess an unrestricted plasticity that allows them to be driven back to their embryonic or pluripotent state, but owing to the juvenile nature of this novel science chapter, there are many unanswered questions and dilemmas. It is indisputable, however, that iPS cells potentially could represent the jack-of-all-trades remedy in areas of medicine ranging from toxicology screening to regenerative medicine. In this review I will summarize the current strategies employed to reprogram somatic cells and the major promises and hurdles for the future of iPS cells.","PeriodicalId":89421,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nucleic acids investigation","volume":"1 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.4081/JNAI.2010.1625","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70280467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicola Zanesi, Yuri Pekarsky, Francesco Trapasso, George Calin, Carlo M Croce
{"title":"MicroRNAs in mouse models of lymphoid malignancies.","authors":"Nicola Zanesi, Yuri Pekarsky, Francesco Trapasso, George Calin, Carlo M Croce","doi":"10.4081/jnai.2010.e8","DOIUrl":"10.4081/jnai.2010.e8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has revealed a new layer of gene expression regulation that affects many normal and pathologic biological systems. Among the malignancies affected by the dysregulation of miRNAs there are cancers of lymphoid origin, in which miRNAs are thought to have tumor suppressive or tumor promoting activities, depending on the nature of their specific targets. In the last 4-5 years, the experimental field that provided the deepest insights into the in vivo biology of miRNAs is that of mouse modeling in which transgenic and knockout animals mimic, respectively, over-expression or down-regulation of specific miRNAs involved in human leukemia/lymphoma. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of lymphoid malignancies based on the natural and engineered mouse models of three different miRNAs, miR-15a/16-1 cluster, miR-155, and miR-17-92 cluster.</p>","PeriodicalId":89421,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nucleic acids investigation","volume":"1 1","pages":"36-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3111058/pdf/nihms234959.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"29930579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}