MicroRNA and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
DNA might be the big fish in town when it comes to genetics research, but RNA is starting to crowd the scene. Tiny bits of RNA called microRNA (miRNA)–native to human cells–have been associated with a number of different diseases including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It appears that miRNA regulates as much as 30 percent of all human genes, determining how and when they are turned on and off.
Technology to detect miRNA has been developed by U.S. Genomics. The Trilogy 2020 Single Molecule Analyzer can detect miRNAs one molecule at a time.
Dr. Erwin Bottinger, vice chair of medical research at Mount Sinai, said he believes Trilogy is a key step toward personalized medicine. The ability to study single molecules, he said, will allow extremely accurate diagnoses.
Recently, two microRNA genes, miR-15 and miR-16, were found to interact with the Bcl-2 protein. In 65 percent of CLL patients, cancer cells have non-functional miR-15 and miR-16 genes which results in a increased amount of Bcl-2 protein needed to stimulate programmed cell death aka apoptosis. The Bcl-2 protein blocks apoptotic cell death of some cells and an increased amount means that cancer cells do not go through normal programmed cell death, but continue to exist and proliferate.*
CLL, a cancer of the blood, is the most common adult leukemia in the world. MicroRNAs may prove to be a promising therapy for this and other cancers.
News-Medical.Net, September 12, 2005
*Thanks to Cary for pointing out this very important point!
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POSTED IN: Genetics of Disease
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