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They Make For Great Biomarkers, Too

Sep 05, 2008

Researchers at Nanjing University have found miRNA signatures in blood serum, says an article in Tech Review. In work published in Cell Research, they sequenced miRNA in the blood of people with lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and diabetes and found specific expression patterns. "Whatever the reason, microRNAs are stable in the serum and are resistant to ribonuclease digestion," says lead author Chen-Yu Zhang.

Breaking News
The Scan

Pig Organ Transplants Considered

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Food and Drug Administration may soon allow clinical trials that involve transplanting pig organs into humans.

'Poo-Bank' Proposal

Harvard Medical School researchers suggest people should bank stool samples when they are young to transplant when they later develop age-related diseases.

Spurred to Develop Again

New Scientist reports that researchers may have uncovered why about 60 percent of in vitro fertilization embryos stop developing.

Science Papers Examine Breast Milk Cell Populations, Cerebral Cortex Cellular Diversity, Micronesia Population History

In Science this week: unique cell populations found within breast milk, 100 transcriptionally distinct cell populations uncovered in the cerebral cortex, and more.