Yale

Groundbreaking Research – microRNA-21

by Chris on August 9, 2010

microRNA 21 ArticlemicroRNA-21 is a very popular study target these days, which is not surprising given its overexpression in many human tumors, and was profiled on the miRNA blog back in February as the “microRNA of the week”.

Researchers at Yale have now demonstrated what they call ‘oncomiR addiction’ (the dependence of some cancer types on certain microRNAs for maintenance of the malignant phenotype) for miR-21 by pre-B-cell lymphoma. They show for the first time in vitro that overexpression of miR-21 leads to a pre-B malignant lymphoid-like phenotype and that when miR-21 is inactivated, the tumors regress completely in a few days. Their research not only demonstrates that mir-21 is a genuine oncogene but that tumors can also become addicted to oncomiRs. This and other work supports miR-21 as a drug target for treatment of human cancers.

Medina PP, Nolde M, Slack FJ (2010) OncomiR addiction in an in vivo model of microRNA-21-induced pre-B-cell lymphoma. Nature [Epub ahead of print]. [abstract]

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Yale spinout 3PrimiR pulls in $2M in funding

by Chris on September 16, 2009

Spawned by Yale University, biotech company 3PrimiR Inc., which is focused on applying microRNA discoveries to cancer diagnostics, has raised $2 million in a planned $4 million equity financing, according to federal documents.

According to the website of Yale’s Office of Cooperative Research, Westport, Conn.-based 3PrimiR was founded by Yale scientists based on their discoveries of the predictive roles of mutations affecting microRNA in cancers. The filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission notes the two company executives as Barbara Mignogna-Korus and Andrew Weidhaas.  (read more)

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