A Simple Method for Profiling and Analyzing MicroRNAs from Small Volume Samples Using a qPCR-Based Platform.

MicroRNAs are small molecules of non-coding RNAs involved in the regulation of mRNA expression, generally through inhibition of translation. Major efforts have been made to understand their role in health and disease, and more recently, microRNAs have been extensively studied as potential disease biomarkers. While the profiling and analysis of microRNAs from large quantities of biofluids are well established, difficulties still remain in the use of small volume of samples for this purpose. These include tissue samples for neurodevelopmental conditions, which may require the analysis of specific areas of the brain, e.g., hippocampus, or serum or plasma samples with a volume of fewer than 100 microliters. This chapter will give an overview of the preparation, profiling, and analysis of microRNAs from brain tissue with a starting mass of fewer than 100 micrograms.