Identifying New MicroRNA Tumor Biomarkers for Mesothelioma
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Identifying New MicroRNA Tumor Biomarkers for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Identifying New MicroRNA Tumor Biomarkers for Mesothelioma Italian researchers have taken an important step forwards in what amounts to a microRNA tumor biomarker for mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibers causes malignant pleural mesothelioma. An early diagnosis and comprehensive health monitoring is vital for patients exposed to asbestos fibers. Researchers at the University of Catania in Italy say these two clinical issues “may be solved by the identification of specific biomarkers.” A new article in Nature Scientific Reports identifies RNA molecules could serve as a microRNA signature for mesothelioma. This “signature” could help doctors distinguish mesothelioma from other types of cancer. The Challenge of Mesothelioma Diagnosis Pleural mesothelioma is particularly hard to diagnose. The early symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to the…

Micro-RNAs May Offer New Way to Fight Mesothelioma
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Micro-RNAs May Offer New Way to Fight Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Scientists at one of the world’s top mesothelioma research centers, the Asbestos Diseases Research institute in Sydney, Australia, say that restoring the expression of certain micro RNAs in the cells of mesothelioma patients may offer a new way to fight the disease. A microRNA is a small RNA molecule which is involved in the regulation of gene expression. According to a new report in the Annals of Oncology, the Australian scientists found reduced expression of the micro RNA-15 family (miR-15/16) in the cells of mice with mesothelioma. “When malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines were compared with the normal mesothelial cell line MeT-5A, the downregulation of miR-15/16 was 2- to 10-fold,” they report. This finding is consistent with previous cancer research…