A MicroRNA-Based Test Will Diagnose Melanoma

A new program aims to identify microRNA biomarkers for overall survival and risk of melanoma metastasizing to distant sites. Melanoma is one is one of the rarer types of skin cancer but causes the majority of skin cancer related deaths accounting for 48,000 fatalities worldwide each year.

More than 700 microRNAs (many of which are not publicly available) will be screened in order to identify the right signature, which will potentially be able to quickly and efficiently find the right prognostic indicator test for melanomas.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a naturally occurring form of interference RNA (RNAi). These small RNAs act as protein regulators and have the potential to form the basis for a new class of diagnostics and therapeutics. Because many diseases are caused by the abnormal activity of proteins, the ability to selectively regulate protein activity through microRNAs could provide the means to treat a wide range of human diseases. In addition, microRNAs have been shown to have different expression levels in certain diseased versus normal tissues. As a result, these differences potentially provide for a novel diagnostic strategy for many diseases. MicroRNAs are thought to play a key role in the differentiation of cells into specific cell types performing various functions in the body.

Rosetta Genomics (Rehovot, Israel), a company that develops medical products based on microRNA, and the New York University (NYU) Medical Center (New York, NY, USA) will work in collaboration to leverage the potential of microRNA profiles to develop a diagnostic test for melanoma.

"Each year more than 150,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma,” said Dr. Eva Hernando of the Department of Pathology at the NYU School of Medicine. "We believe that through our work with microRNAs, which have been shown to hold tremendous potential as biomarkers, we will be able to better understand both the origins and the development of the disease.”


Related Links:
Rosetta Genomics
New York University Medical School