Distinct methylation levels of mature microRNAs in gastrointestinal cancers.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31467274.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-11826-1 and PMC identifier 6715669.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The biological significance of micro (mi)RNAs has traditionally been evaluated according to their RNA expression levels based on the assumption that miRNAs recognize and regulate their targets in an unvarying fashion. Here we show that a fraction of mature miRNAs including miR-17-5p, -21-5p, and -200c-3p and let-7a-5p harbor methyl marks that potentially alter their stability and target recognition. Importantly, methylation of these miRNAs was significantly increased in cancer tissues as compared to paired normal tissues. Furthermore, miR-17-5p methylation level in serum samples distinguished early pancreatic cancer patients from healthy controls with extremely high sensitivity and specificity. These findings provide a basis for diagnostic strategies for early-stage cancer and add a dimension to our understanding of miRNA biology.
Medical subject headings
- Gastrointestinal Neoplasms
- MicroRNAs