#microrna — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #microrna, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Microscopic brain vesicles reveal unique genetic markers for Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia
A recent study indicates that microscopic, lipid-bound particles originating from the brain carry distinct genetic signatures depending on the type of dementia a person has. By analyzing these tiny packages, researchers identified specific regulatory molecules that differ between Alzheimer’s disease and various forms of frontotemporal dementia. These findings, published in Brain Communications, suggest a potential new avenue for early and accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions.
Dementia is an umbrella term for conditions characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline, affecting millions of people worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, followed by frontotemporal dementia, which typically strikes at a younger age. In their early stages, these two diseases often share overlapping symptoms, making it difficult for doctors to tell them apart clinically.
Accurate diagnosis is a pressing need because new therapeutic drugs are entering the market. “New treatments for dementia can only help patients if we can accurately diagnose the type of dementia early, with misdiagnosis impacting the success of patient treatment and the ability to test new drugs in clinical trials,” Gemma Lace, associate dean and researcher at the University of Salford’s School of Science, Engineering & Environment, told PsyPost.
To find early biological markers, scientists are looking at small extracellular vesicles, which are tiny, lipid-bound bubbles released by cells to communicate with one another. “Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are fascinating structures that have only quite recently been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, in particular, in the brain regional ‘spread’ of pathogenesis,” Lace said.
“Most studies have not explored brain sEV cargoes given the challenges associated with tissue access, yet the brain is the primary site of damage in dementia,” Lace added. “We were curious to know whether sEV cargoes varied between different sub-types of dementia given the research understanding around differential disease pathways, and if this variation could shed further light on disease process and/or have diagnostic value.”
Because these microscopic packages can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the bloodstream, they offer a window into what is happening inside the brain. Past work has shown that looking at bodily fluids can yield clues about brain health; for example, a study covered by PsyPost in 2026 found that blood tests could accurately identify Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia by looking at disease-linked proteins.
Inside these vesicles, cells pack various types of cargo, including microRNAs. MicroRNAs are short strands of genetic material that help control how genes are expressed, often by turning certain genetic instructions off. Previous research provides evidence that these molecules play a role in brain diseases. A study covered by PsyPost in 2024 demonstrated that specific microRNAs are altered in both the blood and brain tissue of those with Alzheimer’s pathology.
In neurodegenerative diseases, toxic proteins build up in the brain. Normally, the body uses cellular recycling systems, known as autophagy, to clear away these toxic accumulations. The authors of the new study suspected that different forms of dementia might involve unique disruptions to these recycling pathways. By examining the microRNA packed into brain-derived vesicles, they aimed to see if they could differentiate Alzheimer’s disease from frontotemporal dementia and its specific genetic variants.
The research, led by Joseph Morgan of the University of Salford, utilized post-mortem brain tissue from the frontal lobes of 25 individuals. The sample included five people who had Alzheimer’s disease, fifteen people with different genetic mutations that cause frontotemporal dementia, and five older adults without any clinical dementia diagnosis. For the molecular tests, the researchers analyzed a subset of three samples from each diagnostic group.
First, the research team isolated the small extracellular vesicles directly from the frozen brain tissue. They then chemically treated the samples to strip away any genetic material stuck to the outside of the bubbles, ensuring they were only measuring the cargo safely sealed inside. After extracting the microRNAs, the scientists used a laboratory technique that amplifies genetic material to measure the levels of seven specific microRNAs known to regulate cellular recycling.
The researchers found distinct differences between the groups. A microRNA called miR-224-5p was detected at much higher levels in the vesicles of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and those with a specific tau-related mutation for frontotemporal dementia. Specifically, this molecule showed an absolute fold increase of over 4 times in Alzheimer’s samples and over 7 times in the tau-mutation samples, compared to the healthy brains.
Another target, miR-106a-3p, was elevated in the Alzheimer’s disease samples compared to the control group and all the frontotemporal dementia subgroups. After the scientists applied strict statistical adjustments to account for multiple comparisons, however, these specific group-to-group differences for miR-106a-3p were not statistically significant.
To get a broader picture, the team also mapped the entire microRNA landscape of the vesicles using genetic sequencing. This exploratory analysis identified unique panels of altered microRNAs for each disease type. For instance, a molecule named miR-26a-2-3p was elevated in Alzheimer’s disease samples when compared to the healthy controls. It was also elevated in the Alzheimer’s samples when compared directly to all three genetic forms of frontotemporal dementia.
“Our study has identified that different subtypes of dementia, that have similar symptoms, have different biological fingerprints within tiny brain vesicles,” Lace noted. “This is very exciting with respect to developing new methods of early and accurate diagnosis.”
As with all research, there are some caveats to consider. “This was a relatively small study given post-mortem human brain tissue is challenging to secure, with sample volumes available being limited,” Lace explained. “This meant we had to be very selective around the experiments we need to get the most meaningful data, and there were many things we were unable to explore due to the amount of tissue available to us.”
Because the sample sizes were small, there is an increased chance of missing subtle but real biological differences. The healthy control group was also older on average than the individuals in the disease groups, introducing an age difference that could potentially influence the types of microRNA found in the brain.
The results provide a snapshot of the brain after death, meaning post-mortem tissue degradation could have affected the stability of the genetic material. Furthermore, the exact microRNA signatures found directly in brain tissue may not perfectly match what is floating in a patient’s bloodstream or saliva. The brain is highly complex and made up of diverse, non-uniform tissue and cell types, so a sample from the frontal lobe may not represent the entire organ.
Future research will need to validate these candidate markers in much larger groups of patients, and scientists plan to test whether these same microRNA signatures can be reliably detected in more easily accessible bodily fluids. “It would be great to explore whether these brain sEV biomarker variations are detectable in peripheral tissues such as blood which is an accessible fluid for diagnostic use,” Lace said.
The study, “Distinct brain extracellular vesicle microRNA profiles differ in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,” was authored by Joseph Morgan, Toby Aarons, Arijit Mukhopadhyay, and Gemma Lace.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Alzheimers #FrontotemporalDementia #BrainEVs #ExosomeBiomarkers #MicroRNA #NeurodegenerativeResearch #EarlyDiagnosis #Biomarkers #BrainHealth #GeneticMarkers
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Do you take after your #dad’s #RNA?
Evidence is growing that #sperm carries marks of a father’s life experiences, influencing traits in offspring.
Yin’s team analyzed molecules inside exercising rodents’ sperm and found tiny bits of RNA—dubbed #microRNA—that were present in higher amounts than in sperm of their idle littermates. When the scientists injected those molecules into unrelated embryos, they got animals just as fit as those that were born to exercising fathers.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/do-you-take-after-your-dads-rna/ -
Rett syndrome is a severe developmental disorder triggered by mutations in the MECP2 gene, which researchers have recently discovered compromises the structural integrity of developing brain blood vessels. This #genetic mutation causes the overexpression of a specific #microRNA that breaks down the tight seals of the blood-brain barrier, resulting in vascular leakiness that disrupts neural function.
#Neuroscience #CellBiology #Genetics #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2026/03/ns03142601.html -
💦 Sperm microRNAs may enable transmission of exercise benefits from fathers to children
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-sperm-micrornas-enable-transmission-benefits.html
#sperm #microrna #rna #inheritance #biology #men #fathers #exercise #epigenetics #health
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🚨 Our Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience review explores how microRNAs (miRNAs) could transform early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases 🧠
🧬 Also covers aging & protein PTMs!
📖 https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2024.1386735
#Neuroscience #microRNA #Neurodegeneration #Biomarkers #Alzheimers #OpenScience -
🧠 Exciting News! Our review article is published!
We explore how miRNAs could enhance diagnostics and their role in PTM and Aging 🧠🧬
🔗https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2024.1386735
🔗 https://go.nature.com/3FSQrke#MicroRNA #Neurodegeneration #PostTranslationalModifications #AgingAndDisease #MolecularNeuroscience #RNARegulation #GeneExpression #Biomarkers #EarlyDiagnosis #FrontiersInNeuroscience #ScientificResearch #BTU #Charite #DZNE #BrainHealth #Epigenetics #NextGenDiagnostics #Neurobiology #miRNABasedDiagnostics
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🧠 Review alert! Our article explores microRNAs (miRNAs) as early, non-invasive biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s. A step toward next-gen diagnostics & precision medicine!
🔗https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2024.1386735
#MicroRNA #Neurodegeneration #PostTranslationalModifications #AgingAndDisease #MolecularNeuroscience #RNARegulation #GeneExpression #Biomarkers #Alzheimers #Parkinsons #Multiplesclerosis #Huntingtons #EarlyDiagnosis #ScientificResearch #FrontiersInNeuroscience -
Unfortunately, at the moment we (#NeuroMiR project) cannot show something, but hopefully in the future we can show our multiplex microbead based-technology how to quantify certain biomarkers based on proteins and #microRNA for detection and quantification of neurodegenerative processes.
P.S.: Hope my statement ages well.
#Neuroscience -
research article [2019]
Pollen-derived RNAs Are Found in the Human Circulation
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2019.08.035#pollen #microRNA #miRNA #bioavailability #platelets #Lungs #biology
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Postdoctoral position - Cancer Biomarkers Lab
IRCCS Casa della Sofferenza Foundation
See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/irccs-casa-della-sofferenza-foundation-27778-postdoctoral-position-cancer-biomarkers-lab/?feed_id=87371
#cancer_research #gene_expression #lung_cancer #microRNA #ScienceJobs #hiring #research
https://jobrxiv.org/job/irccs-casa-della-sofferenza-foundation-27778-postdoctoral-position-cancer-biomarkers-lab/?feed_id=87371 -
Postdoctoral position - Cancer Biomarkers Lab
IRCCS Casa della Sofferenza Foundation
See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/irccs-casa-della-sofferenza-foundation-27778-postdoctoral-position-cancer-biomarkers-lab/?feed_id=86727
#cancer_research #gene_expression #lung_cancer #microRNA #ScienceJobs #hiring #research
https://jobrxiv.org/job/irccs-casa-della-sofferenza-foundation-27778-postdoctoral-position-cancer-biomarkers-lab/?feed_id=86727 -
Noninvasive multi-cancer detection using blood-based cell-free microRNAs. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-73783-0 #MultiCancerEarlyDetection #Microrna #Noninvasive #BloodBasedDiagnosticModel #Cancer
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New Nobel laureate Victor Ambros describes the scientific process of discovering MicroRNA.
The Conversation Weekly podcast caught up with Ambros from his lab at the UMass Chan Medical School to learn more about the Nobel-winning research and what comes next. Here are edited excerpts from @TheConversationUS: https://flip.it/oB-EhP
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MicroRNA – was ist das? Passend zur Verleihung des Nobelpreises unser Hintergrund für Euch. #MicroRNA #Nobelpreis
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Two scientists from Massachusetts won this year’s Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were honored for their discovery of microRNA — research that is having profound effects on our understanding of how cells and organisms work. @gbhnews wrote about the scientists’ responses to their prize. “The surprises are what keep you young in science,” Ruvkun said. “And so I am constantly surprised. And my ignorance is bliss.”
#Science #NobelPrizeinMedicine #microRNA #Boston #Newstodon #NewstodonFriday #FollowFriday
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Funding science that might not lead anywhere is often how we end up with breakthroughs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2024/10/09/world/nobel-prize-medicine-microrna/ #commentary #worldnews #microrna #science #health #medicine #nobelprize
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MicroRNA – was ist das? Passend zur Verleihung des Nobelpreises unser Hintergrund für Euch. #MicroRNA #Nobelpreis
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DATE: October 08, 2024 at 07:30AM
SOURCE: BioWorld MedTechDirect article link at end of text block below.
Two win Nobel for microRNA work
#medtech #NobelPrize #microRNA
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at https://www.bioworld.com/topics/85-bioworld-medtech .
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It's primitive... but it works... mostly...
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-------------------------------------------------#healthcare #healthtech #healthcaretech #healthtechnology #medgadget #medicine #doctor #hospital #medtech
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In jahrzehntelanger Forschung fanden die US-Wissenschaftler einen neuen Mechanismus bei der Genregulation, die #microRNA. Klinische Anwendungen sind noch nicht in Sicht. https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1185808.nobelpreis-neues-vom-fadenwurm-c-elegans.html
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Two American scientists -- Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun -- won the #Nobel #Prize in physiology or medicine on Monday for their discovery of #microRNA, 🔸tiny bits of genetic material that serve as on and off switches inside cells 🔸that help control what the cells do and when they do it.
According to a panel that awarded the prize, the work is “proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function”
Ambros and Ruvkun were initially interested in genes that control the timing of different genetic developments, ensuring that cell types develop at the right time.
Their discovery ultimately “revealed a new dimension to gene regulation, essential for all complex life forms
If scientists can better understand how microDNA works and how to manipulate it, it could one day lead to powerful treatments for diseases like cancer.
https://apnews.com/article/nobel-medicine-dc84622d7a15317bc83e873d3f9a2dbf -
MicroRNA the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
In 1993 when this discovery was first hatching, I was 23 years old and learning to appreciate the difference between what we know about the world, and what we don't. The idea that tiny fragments of RNA might be regulating gene expression is pretty wild stuff. But that's the point of science... Learning new things about the natural world is a magnificent journey to be on.
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I can't help but sharing a little anecdote. This morning I gave a lecture on non-coding RNAs to undergraduate students, where I presented "the short story of a short RNA" - the discovery of the first micro-RNA - lin-4 in C. elegans. Right after finishing the lecture I learned this work was awarded the #Nobel prize. It's such a pleasant coincidence, specially because it's such a beautiful work.
#nobel2024 #microRNA #Biology #Celegans #NobelPRize2024
@worms -
DATE: October 07, 2024 at 04:30PM
SOURCE: BioWorld MedTechDirect article link at end of text block below.
Two win Nobel for microRNA work
#medtech #NobelPrize #microRNA
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at https://www.bioworld.com/topics/85-bioworld-medtech .
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
.
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
.
EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE:
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It's primitive... but it works... mostly...
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-------------------------------------------------#healthcare #healthtech #healthcaretech #healthtechnology #medgadget #medicine #doctor #hospital #medtech
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The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet
has today decided to award
the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
jointly to
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
for the discovery of #MicroRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2024/press-release/
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👏👏👏 Dieses Jahr geht der #Nobelpreis für #Medizin an die Entdecker der #microRNA, Victor Ambros & Gary Ruvkun. Hochverdient, aber es bleiben Fragen:
👉 In 2006 gab es bereits einen #MedizinNobelpreis für die RNA-Interferenz an Craig Mello & Andrew Fire. Auch das war verdient, aber es war sozusagen die erste Anwendung der Entdeckung von Ambros & Ruvkun. Eigentlich hätte der Nobelpreis 2024 also schon 2006 vergeben werden müssen. Wollte das Nobelkomitee heute eine Fehlentscheidung korrigieren?
👉 Wiederholt schreibt das Nobelkomitee in seiner Begründung von der Entdeckung eines entscheidenden Mechanismus der Genregulation. Aber wieso dieser Begriff? Er beinhaltet ja auch Transkriptionsfaktoren. Warum nicht der sehr viel passendere Begriff der #Epigenetik? Dieser wird überhaupt nicht genannt.
👉Ist der Ruf der #Epigenetik immer noch so schlecht? Es mag der Grund gewesen sein, warum 2006 der Preis nicht an Ambros & Ruvkun ging, heute gilt Epigenetik aber als hochseriös und sehr wichtig.
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Nobelpreis für Physiologie oder Medizin 2024: Die Nobelpreisträger Victor Ambros und Gary Ruvkun entdeckten einen Molekültyp, der steuert, welche Proteine eine Zelle in welchem Maß herstellt#MicroRNA #RNA #MiRNA #MRNA #Nobelpreis #Nobelpreis2024 #NobelpreisfürPhysiologieoderMedizin #Ambross #VictorAmbross #Ravkin #GaryRavkin #Medizin
Kleine RNA mit großer Wirkung -
2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovery of "microRNA and new Principle of Gene regulation"
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded jointly to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun “for the discovery of microRNA and its role...........
#GaryRuvkun #generegulation #microRNA #miRNA #Nobelprize #NobelprizeinMedicine #RNA #transcription #VictorAmbros
Rajeev Soni -
„Ein Großteil aller menschlichen Proteine steht unter Kontrolle einer oder mehrerer #microRNA. Deshalb spielen sie in der Entstehung so vieler Krankheiten eine Rolle, beispielsweise bei Krebs, Herzkreislaufleiden und immunologischen Krankheiten.“🤓via #SZ #Nobelpreis
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/gesundheit/medizin-nobelpreis-gary-ruvkun-victor-ambros-li.3125676