Title:The Salivary miRNome: A Promising Biomarker of Disease
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Author(s): Sara Tomei*, Harshitha Shobha Manjunath, Selvasankar Murugesan and Souhaila Al Khodor
Affiliation:
- Omics Core, Research Branch, Out Patient Clinic, Sidra Medicine, Doha,Qatar
Keywords:
miRNA, saliva, sequencing, biomarkers, cancer, microbiome.
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs ranging from 18-24 nucleotides, also
known to regulate the human genome mainly at the post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs were
shown to play an important role in most biological processes such as apoptosis and in the pathogenesis
of many diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Recent developments of advanced
molecular high-throughput technologies have enhanced our knowledge of miRNAs. MiRNAs
can now be discovered, interrogated, and quantified in various body fluids serving as diagnostic
and therapeutic markers for many diseases.
While most studies use blood as a sample source to measure circulating miRNAs as possible biomarkers
for disease pathogenesis, fewer studies have assessed the role of salivary miRNAs in
health and disease. This review aims at providing an overview of the current knowledge of the salivary
miRNome, addressing the technical aspects of saliva sampling, and highlighting the applicability
of miRNA screening to clinical practice.
