We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

LabMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News Expo Clinical Chem. Molecular Diagnostics Hematology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Technology Industry Focus

Panel of Long Noncoding RNAs Predicts Prospects for Leukemia Survival

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 21 Dec 2014
Print article
Image: Bone marrow aspirate showing acute myeloid leukemia (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
Image: Bone marrow aspirate showing acute myeloid leukemia (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
Cancer researchers have identified a panel of 48 long noncoding RNAs that is indicative of a favorable outcome in older patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and has the potential to aid clinicians in choosing the least toxic, most effective treatment for this disease, which has a three-year survival rate of only 5% to 15%.

Long non-coding RNAs (long ncRNAs, lncRNA) are non-protein coding transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides. This somewhat arbitrary limit distinguishes long ncRNAs from small regulatory RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNAs, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), and other short RNAs. While lncRNAs are known to be involved in numerous biological roles including imprinting, epigenetic gene regulation, cell cycle and apoptosis, and metastasis and prognosis in solid tumors, their role in AML has not been clarified.

To determine whether lncRNAs are associated with clinical features and recurrent mutations in older patients (aged over 60 years) with cytogenetically normal (CN)-AML, investigators at Ohio State University (Columbus, USA) evaluated lncRNA expression in 148 untreated older CN-AML patients using a custom microarray platform. An independent set of 71 untreated older patients with CN-AML was used to validate the outcome scores using RNA sequencing.

The investigators derived an lncRNA score comprising 48 lncRNAs. Patients with an unfavorable compared with favorable lncRNA score had a lower complete response rate and shorter disease-free survival. Three years into the study, only 7% of patients with an unfavorable score were disease free compared with 39% of patients with a favorable score. Overall survival at three years for those with an unfavorable score was 10% versus 43% for patients with a favorable score.

“We have identified a pattern of 48 lncRNAs that predicted both response to standard chemotherapy and overall survival in older CN-AML patients,” said first author Dr. Ramiro Garzon, associate professor of internal medicine at Ohio State University.

“Patients in the favorable group had a high probability of responding to standard chemotherapy, while those in the unfavorable group generally responded poorly to the treatment and had worse overall survival.”

The study was published in the December 15, 2014, online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

Related Links:

Ohio State University


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Magnetic Bead Separation Modules
MAG and HEATMAG
Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test
GPP-100 Anti-CCP Kit
New
Gold Member
Magnetic Bead Separation Modules
MAG and HEATMAG

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The 3D printed miniature ionizer is a key component of a mass spectrometer (Photo courtesy of MIT)

3D Printed Point-Of-Care Mass Spectrometer Outperforms State-Of-The-Art Models

Mass spectrometry is a precise technique for identifying the chemical components of a sample and has significant potential for monitoring chronic illness health states, such as measuring hormone levels... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The CAPILLARYS 3 DBS devices have received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance (Photo courtesy of Sebia)

Next Generation Instrument Screens for Hemoglobin Disorders in Newborns

Hemoglobinopathies, the most widespread inherited conditions globally, affect about 7% of the population as carriers, with 2.7% of newborns being born with these conditions. The spectrum of clinical manifestations... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The AI predictive model identifies the most potent cancer killing immune cells for use in immunotherapies (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

AI Predicts Tumor-Killing Cells with High Accuracy

Cellular immunotherapy involves extracting immune cells from a patient's tumor, potentially enhancing their cancer-fighting capabilities through engineering, and then expanding and reintroducing them into the body.... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The T-SPOT.TB test is now paired with the Auto-Pure 2400 liquid handling platform for accurate TB testing (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Integrated Solution Ushers New Era of Automated Tuberculosis Testing

Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for 1.3 million deaths every year, positioning it as one of the top killers globally due to a single infectious agent. In 2022, around 10.6 million people were diagnosed... Read more