Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as for example microRNAs (miRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in cancer and have shown great potential as tissue-based markers for cancer classification and prognostication. ncRNAs are present in membrane-bound vesicles, such as exosomes, in extracellular human body fluids. Circulating miRNAs are also present in human plasma and serum cofractionate with the Argonaute2 (Ago2) protein and the High-density lipoprotein (HDL). Since miRNAs and the other ncRNAs circulate in the bloodstream in a highly stable, extracellular forms, they may be used as blood-based biomarkers for cancer and other diseases. A knowledge base of non-invasive biomarkers is a fundamental tool for biomedical research. Here, we present an updated version of the miRandola database, a comprehensive manually curated collection and classification of extracellular circulating miRNAs. miRandola contains 2366 entries, with 599 unique mature miRNAs and 23 types of samples, extracted from 139 papers. miRNAs are classified into four categories, based on their extracellular form: miRNA-Ago2 (173 entries), miRNA-exosome (862 entries), miRNA-HDL (20 entries) and miRNA-circulating (1311 entries). Moreover, the database contains several tools, allowing users to infer the potential biological functions of circulating miRNAs, their connections with phenotypes and the drug effects on cellular and extracellular miRNAs. The future direction of the database is to be a resource for all the potential non-invasive biomarkers such as lncRNAs, cell-free DNA and circulating tumor cells (CTCs).
miRandola: towards a comprehensive resource for non-invasive biomarkers
Russo F;Pellegrini M;
2014
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as for example microRNAs (miRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in cancer and have shown great potential as tissue-based markers for cancer classification and prognostication. ncRNAs are present in membrane-bound vesicles, such as exosomes, in extracellular human body fluids. Circulating miRNAs are also present in human plasma and serum cofractionate with the Argonaute2 (Ago2) protein and the High-density lipoprotein (HDL). Since miRNAs and the other ncRNAs circulate in the bloodstream in a highly stable, extracellular forms, they may be used as blood-based biomarkers for cancer and other diseases. A knowledge base of non-invasive biomarkers is a fundamental tool for biomedical research. Here, we present an updated version of the miRandola database, a comprehensive manually curated collection and classification of extracellular circulating miRNAs. miRandola contains 2366 entries, with 599 unique mature miRNAs and 23 types of samples, extracted from 139 papers. miRNAs are classified into four categories, based on their extracellular form: miRNA-Ago2 (173 entries), miRNA-exosome (862 entries), miRNA-HDL (20 entries) and miRNA-circulating (1311 entries). Moreover, the database contains several tools, allowing users to infer the potential biological functions of circulating miRNAs, their connections with phenotypes and the drug effects on cellular and extracellular miRNAs. The future direction of the database is to be a resource for all the potential non-invasive biomarkers such as lncRNAs, cell-free DNA and circulating tumor cells (CTCs).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.