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MicroRNAs in CSF as prodromal biomarkers for Huntington’s disease

The Myers lab has studied microRNAs (miRNA) in Huntington disease (HD) brain, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).  In a study to assess the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for disease, we found increased miRNA levels were detected in CSF for carriers of the HD trinucleotide repeat expansion mutation up to twenty years before expected disease onset.  Levels increased as proximity to onset decreased suggesting miRNAs may serve as effective biomarkers for prodromal disease long before disease manifestation. 

miRNA hold potential as diagnostic biomarkers as well as for evaluating treatments that may postpone HD disease onset and may be relevant to other neurodegenerative diseases. 

In this webcast, listeners will learn about:

  1. Why the fundamental characteristics of microRNAs make them candidates for disease biomarkers in multiple contexts.
  2. Why Huntington’s disease may serve as a disease model for the assessment of biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases in general.
  3. Findings for microRNAs in CSF for Huntington’s disease indicate microRNAs hold promise as biomarkers for disesae prior to disease onset.
  4. Relevance of these studies to clinical trials,
  5. Relevance of these studies for both the diagnosis and the initiation of preventive medicine in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Page last updated October 02, 2018