The translational potential of microRNAs as biofluid markers of urological tumours.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are secreted by cells in vesicles, bound in a ribonucleoprotein complex or as free molecules. These miRNA secretion pathways are dysregulated in cancer, making miRNAs attractive candidate molecules for liquid biopsies. A number of studies have investigated the regulation of miRNA secretion into blood and urine and suggested that miRNAs are noninvasive diagnostic, prognostic and surveillance markers in urological carcinomas, and research in this area has increased over the past 5 years. However, methodological and analytical pitfalls exist and require addressing to enable future translation of the laboratory findings regarding miRNAs as biomarkers into clinical practice in bladder cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
Department of Signal Transduction, Invasion and Metastasis of Epithelial Cells, Max Delbrück Center of Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13092 Berlin, Germany.|Department of Urology, University Hospital Charité, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany.|Berlin Institute for Urologic Research, University Hospital Charité, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Annika
A
Fendler
Department of Urology, University Hospital Charité, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany.|Berlin Institute for Urologic Research, University Hospital Charité, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Carsten
C
Stephan
Department of Laboratory Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, 30 Bond Street, Toronto M5B 1W8, Canada.
George M
GM
Yousef
Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
Glen
G
Kristiansen
Department of Urology, University Hospital Charité, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany.|Berlin Institute for Urologic Research, University Hospital Charité, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Klaus
K
Jung
D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs