BioCentury
ARTICLE | Markers

Micro Management

March 20, 2008 7:00 AM UTC

In the past four years, at least two biotechs have released tests that use mRNA-based gene signatures to predict the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence. Now, research is emerging that suggests microRNAs could also have utility in breast cancer prognosis and disease classification. Companies developing miRNA-based tests think their products could have advantages over mRNA-based ones, whereas the mRNA test developers think that miRNA is unlikely to provide any additional prognostic power.

miRNAs are noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Each individual miRNA modulates multiple RNAs. Two papers, in Natureand Nature Cell Biology,detail how five miRNAs function in breast cancer, including three that suppress metastasis and twothat promote it...