Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Keio J Med. 2020 Dec 25;69(4):88-96. doi: 10.2302/kjm.2019-0011-OA. Epub 2020 May 13.
Early detection of cancer is crucial for its ultimate control and the prevention of malignant progression. In Japan, a nationwide project was conducted between 2014 and 2019 to develop novel cancer detection tools using serum microRNAs (miRNAs). Using the National Cancer Center Biobank, we collected more than 10,000 serum samples from patients with malignant diseases, including rare cancers such as ovarian cancer, gliomas, and sarcomas. Subsequently, comprehensive miRNA microarray analyses were performed for all samples. This serum miRNA database provides insights regarding miRNA biomarker candidates for each cancer type. Here, we summarize the major achievements of this national project. Notably, although circulating miRNAs packaged in extracellular vesicles are thought to be a cell-to-cell communication tool, the functional characteristics of the miRNAs listed in the project are still unknown. We hope that our findings will help elucidate the biological functions of circulating miRNAs.
癌症的早期检测对于其最终控制和恶性进展的预防至关重要。在日本，2014 年至 2019 年期间开展了一项全国性项目，旨在利用血清 microRNAs（miRNAs）开发新型癌症检测工具。我们利用国家癌症中心生物库收集了超过 10000 份来自恶性疾病患者的血清样本，包括卵巢癌、神经胶质瘤和肉瘤等罕见癌症。随后，对所有样本进行了全面的 miRNA 微阵列分析。该血清 miRNA 数据库为每种癌症类型的 miRNA 生物标志物候选物提供了见解。在这里，我们总结了该国家项目的主要成果。值得注意的是，尽管包裹在细胞外囊泡中的循环 miRNAs 被认为是细胞间通讯工具，但项目中列出的 miRNAs 的功能特征仍不清楚。我们希望我们的发现将有助于阐明循环 miRNAs 的生物学功能。
