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Nanopore Single-Molecule Detection of Circulating MicroRNAs

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Circulating MicroRNAs

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1024))

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of tiny noncoding RNAs that play an important role in regulating every aspect of cellular activities. Dysfunctional expression of miRNAs disrupts normal biological processes, leading to the development of various diseases including cancer. Circulating miRNAs are being investigated as biomarkers with a potential for noninvasive disease detection. This demands the development of new technologies to accurately detect miRNAs with short assay time and affordable cost. We have proposed a nanopore single-molecule method for accurate, label-free detection of circulating miRNAs without amplification of the target miRNA. This concise protocol describes how to device a protein nanopore to quantify target miRNAs in RNA extraction, and discusses at the end the advantages, challenges, and broad impact of the nanopore approach for miRNA detection.

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Acknowledgments

This investigation was supported by NSF 0546165 and NIH 1R01GM079613. This investigation was conducted in a facility constructed with support from the Research Facilities Improvement Program Grant C06-RR-016489-01 from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Engineering and Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Li-Qun Gu & Yong Wang

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  1. Li-Qun Gu
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  2. Yong Wang
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Div. of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institut, Tsukiji 5-chome, Chuo-ku 1-1, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Nobuyoshi Kosaka

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Gu, LQ., Wang, Y. (2013). Nanopore Single-Molecule Detection of Circulating MicroRNAs. In: Kosaka, N. (eds) Circulating MicroRNAs. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1024. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-453-1_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-453-1_21

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-452-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-453-1

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