Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be critical mediators of many cellular and developmental processes and have been implicated in different human diseases. Since the observation of extracellular miRNAs present in various biofluids, much attention and excitement have been garnered toward understanding the functional roles of these circulating extracellular miRNAs and establishing their potential use as noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers. Here, we will review the current state of miRNA biomarkers for many human diseases, including their emerging use in toxicological applications, and discuss the current challenges in the field, with an emphasis on technical issues that often hinder discovery-based miRNA biomarker studies.
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This work was supported by research contracts from DOD W911NF-10-2-0111 and DTRA HDTRA1-13-C-0055.
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Vikas Ghai and Kai Wang wrote the manuscript.
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Ghai, V., Wang, K. Recent progress toward the use of circulating microRNAs as clinical biomarkers. Arch Toxicol 90, 2959–2978 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-016-1828-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-016-1828-2