Serum miRNAs miR-206, 143-3p and 374b-5p as potential biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Publication date: Available online 1 April 2017
Source:Neurobiology of Aging
Author(s): Rachel Waller, Emily F. Goodall, Marta Milo, Jonathan Cooper-Knock, Marc Da Costa, Esther Hobson, Mbombe Kazoka, Helen Wollff, Paul R. Heath, Pamela J. Shaw, Janine Kirby
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, neurodegenerative condition characterised by loss of motor neurones and progressive muscle wasting. There is no diagnostic test for ALS therefore robust biomarkers would not only be valuable for diagnosis, but also the classification of disease subtypes, monitoring responses to drugs and tracking disease progression. As regulators of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly used for diagnostic and prognostic purposes in various disease states with increasing exploration in neurodegenerative disorders. We hypothesise that circulating blood based miRNAs will serve as biomarkers and use miRNA profiling to determine miRNA signatures from the serum of sporadic (sALS) patients compared to healthy controls and patients with diseases that mimic ALS. A number of differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in each set of patient comparisons. Validation in an additional patient cohort showed that miR-206 and miR-143-3p were increased and miR-374b-5p was decreased compared to controls. A continued change in miRNA expression persisted during disease progression indicating the potential use of these particular miRNAs as longitudinal biomarkers in ALS.



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