title: MicroRNA profiling: approaches and considerations.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of thousands of genes in a broad range of organisms in both normal physiological contexts and in disease contexts. miRNA expression profiling is gaining popularity because miRNAs, as key regulators in gene expression networks, can influence many biological processes and also show promise as biomarkers for disease. Technological advances have spawned a multitude of platforms for miRNA profiling, and an understanding of the strengths and pitfalls of different approaches can aid in their effective use. Here, we review the major considerations for carrying out and interpreting results of miRNA-profiling studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Colin C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: Heather H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Muneesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tewari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs