Tag Archives: miRNA

miRNA, the inconspicuous but key player in the development of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is among the top three cancers affecting women below 45 years in several countries. Both the alterations and modification in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences play a critical role in the onset and progression of cervical

How well can serum miRNAs diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that damages motor neurons. As the disease progresses, patients gradually loose exercise capacity. Finally, they die due to the lack of breathability. No effective therapy was found for ALS

miR-146 and miR-155, two key modulators of the immune response and of the oncogenic transformation

miR-146 and miR-155, two key modulators of the immune response and of the oncogenic transformation

Micro-RNA (miRNAs or miRs) are small noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate protein coding gene transcripts and exert an important role in the control of gene expression. miRs are deregulated in many tumors and play an active role

Molecular mechanism of phenotypic plasticity

Darwinian evolution is considered to be the way that life adapts in every possible environment in Earth. The great evolutionary biologist of the past century Theodosius Dobzansky used to say: “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in

Let-7b expression in breast cancer: does have any implications on the DNA repair capacity?

Epigenetics study the changes on gene expression that occur without altering the primary structure of the DNA. Examples of epigenetic mechanisms that can produce such changes include microRNA ( miRNA ) silencing, DNA methylation, histone methylation, among

Wheat microRNA ancestors

Bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L., is one of the most important crops as a food source by providing approximately 20 % of human dietary energy. Bread wheat is harvested all over the world distributed more than 200

Uncovering the microRNA landscape in the crop pest nematode Meloidogyne incognita

Plant-parasitic nematodes are small roundworms that predominantly feed on roots and cause crop yield losses. The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita is among the most damaging pests of several crops including cotton, tomato, and soybean. The infective stage

From famine to feast: cells can adapt to nutritional changes

Sometimes we have mostly vegetables, at other times, meat; sometimes we eat much, at other times, little. Our diet can be quite changeable. This is all the more true for animals, which need to content themselves with

How the immune system is regulated by small RNAs called microRNAs to prevent self-attacks leading to autoimmunity

The ability to properly engage the different arms of the immune response is essential for protection from pathogens but also for preventing autoimmune reactions against normal tissue. Central to autoimmune prevention are a class of white blood

Can hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases be caused by Dark-Matter-like RNAs?

Hypertension is a common but one of the most important health problems, because it is a major risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension is a multi-factorial disease involving complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. To treat

Punching above their weight: how the smallest RNAs offer great promise for cancer biology

In recent decades, scientists have witnessed transformative developments in the field of RNA biology. RNA molecules are similar in composition to their more famous DNA counterparts (they are both nucleic acids), but are present in a variety

Leukemia cells rely on vesicles from neighboring stromal cells to resist common cancer treatments

Leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells that occurs in both children and adults.  Strides have been made in curing most types of leukemia.  However, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) continues to resist the same treatment strategies. 

MicroRNAs and physical activity

Physical activity has a recognised role in the prevention of non-communicable diseases, cancer included. To maintain a satisfying health level, the World Health Organization (WHO) has assumed that everyone have to practice at least 150 minutes of

Fluorescent micro-RNA for cancer diagnostics

Biomarkers are indicators of biological states or conditions and can therefore provide important information about diseases such as cancer. In clinical diagnostics biomarkers are most often proteins or nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA. Biomarkers that

Blood-based biomarkers for multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated, inflammatory demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS is classified in: relapsing–remitting (RRMS), characterized by acute attacks followed by partial or complete recovery periods; primary progressive (PPMS),

The interplay of the ticking clock and miRNA in differentiation of endothelial precursors

Our day-today activities like sleep-wake cycle, hormone release, body temperature and other important bodily functions follow a characteristic rhythm over 24 hours called a circadian rhythm. A ‘master clock’ in brain termed as suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) co-ordinates

A key molecule for embryonic bone development is dysregulated in cancer

Bone is an endocrine organ with important biological functions. The skeleton produces hormones, such as FGF23 and osteocalcin, which regulate an extensive list of normal functions. Some of these functions include glucose metabolism, male fertility, blood cell