MicroRNAs as potential biomarkers for gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. More than 80% of diagnoses occur at the middle to late stage of the disease, highlighting an urgent need for novel biomarkers detectable at earlier stages. Recently, aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) have received a great deal of attention as potential sensitive and accurate biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This review summarizes the current knowledge about potential miRNA biomarkers for gastric cancer that have been reported in the publicly available literature between 2008 and 2013. Available evidence indicates that aberrantly expressed miRNAs in gastric cancer correlate with tumorigenesis, tumor proliferation, distant metastasis and invasion. Furthermore, tissue and cancer types can be classified using miRNA expression profiles and next-generation sequencing. As miRNAs in plasma/serum are well protected from RNases, they remain stable under harsh conditions. Thus, potential functions of these circulating miRNAs can be deduced and may implicate their diagnostic value in cancer detection. Circulating miRNAs, as well as tissue miRNAs, may allow for the detection of gastric cancer at an early stage, prediction of prognosis, and monitoring of recurrence and/or lymph node metastasis. Taken together, the data suggest that the participation of miRNAs in biomarker development will enhance the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic and prognostic tests for gastric cancer. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

The mutation network for the hemagglutinin gene from the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus

A mutation network for the hemagglutinin gene(HA) of the novel type A(H1N1) influenza virus was constructed.Sequence homology analysis indicated that one HA sequence type from the viruses mainly isolated from Mexico was likely the original type in this epidemic.Based on the 658A and 1408T mutations in HA,the viruses evolving into this epidemic were divided into three categories,the Mexico,the transitional and the New York type.The three groups of viruses presented distinctive clustering features in their geographic distributions.

Subtyping of type A influenza by sequencing the variable regions of HA gene specifically amplified with RT-PCR

The outbreak of a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus across the globe poses a threat to human health.It is of paramount importance to develop a rapid,reliable and inexpensive diagnostic procedure.Based on the bioinformatic information from public database,primers specific for influenza A virus surface protein haemagglutinin(HA) of several subtypes(including H1,H2,H3,H5,H7 and H9) were designed.Primer-specific PCR products were subjected to sequencing for accurately distinguishing H1 and H3 subtypes from others.This sequencing-based detection method will not only be applied to rapid detection and simultaneous subtype identification of new influenza A virus H1N1,but also provide the strategies to monitor other new types ofinfluenza virus with explosive potential.

Systems biomedical analysis of Schistosoma japonicum

Human schistosomiasis,caused mainly by three principal species including Schistosoma japonicum,S.mansoni,and S.hematobium,remains a major public health concern worldwide.S.japonicum is prevalent in southern China,being a major disease risk for 66 million people.The bloodfluke has a complex life cycle for survival:as a free-living form in fresh water and as a parasite in the snail intermediate and vertebrate definitive hosts.Systems-based biomedical analyses,including genomic,transcriptomic,proteomic and metabonomic approaches,have been performed on the schistosome.These comprehensive investigations have not only char-acterized the genomic features but also chartered gene and protein expression profiles across genders and develop-mental stages.The integration of the huge information will lay a global and solid foundation for the molecular architecture of the biology,pathogenesis,and host-parasite interactions of the human bloodfluke,which will facilitate the development of a new antischistosomal vaccine and drugs as well as diagnostic markers for the treatment and control of schistosomiasis.