Dr. Jingfang Ju, a researcher from the Mitchell Cancer Institute, recently published research in the August edition of RNA Journal and was recognized for his efforts by the Genome Technology Online website.

As a part of a collaborative effort, Ju contributed to the research demonstrating the effectiveness of microRNA (miRNA) in cancer and other diseases. The title of the article is “Measuring miRNA Isn’t So Hard Anymore.”

Ju, along with a team of researchers, compared expression stabilities of miRNA from fresh frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, providing first-time evidence that FFPE samples might be used to study miRNA expression in cancer and other diseases.

Ju explained microRNAs as “very tiny size RNAs, each one of them can control hundreds of mRNAs’ translation to proteins (like micro-managers). They were discovered only in recent years.”

He goes on to explain that because of their critical function in cancer, microRNA can be used as novel candidates for anti-cancer drug target discovery and clinical prognosis biomarker research in cancer and other types of diseases.

“For prognostic biomarker discovery, archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples with rich clinical information are the best resource. However, due to the damage during tissue fixation, mRNA transcripts were degraded,” said Ju.

This study resulted in providing evidence that microRNAs are more stable than mRNA and their expression level is consistent with what is found from fresh samples. Therefore, says Ju, the significance of this study is that we set up the foundation for cancer diagnostic and prognostic biomarker discovery using archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues.

The overarching goal for the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute is to improve the lives of those impacted by cancer in our region through comprehensive cancer clinical care, and innovative basic and translational research. For more information about the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute, visit http://www.usamci.com .