Exclusively from febit: the miRBase 15 plus Biochip

Contains the brandnew miRBase 15 plus 50 additional human miRNA sequences

LEXINGTON, Mass. (USA), and HEIDELBERG, Germany, May 7, 2010 – Rapid developments in miRNA research require the swift implementation of this emerging knowledge and new miRNA sequences into existing tests to assure comprehensive analyses. Especially for biomarker discovery projects in clinical research it is of utmost importance to include the entirety of biomarker candidates in the screening.

Exclusively available at febit are the Geniom human miRNA Biochips miRBase 15 plus, that contain not only capture probes for the 1090 mature miRNA sequences as annotated in the brand-new miRBase 15 (www.mirbase.org), but also 50 proprietary human miRNA sequences. These have been discovered in a deep sequencing study with Life Technologies, performed on the SOLiD next generation sequencing system that is also part of febit’s Genomic Services offering.

The difference between miRBase 14 and 15 alone means that you miss more than 20% of information with outdated arrays. With febit’s miRBase 15 plus Biochips you have a 26% gain of information! 26% that you do not want to miss in your screening and biomarker discovery studies.

A multitude of studies has shown that miRNAs, and especially miRNA signatures, can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases. Specific miRNA fingerprints show a high diagnostic value, and their analysis from body fluids like peripheral blood is well suited as a non-invasive diagnostic test. However, it is known that single biomarkers show limited specificity and classification accuracy. A multiple biomarker strategy, with complex miRNA signatures, circumvents these limitations by adding accuracy and predictive power. Thus, a comprehensive screening is a prerequisite, and guaranteed in febit’s miRNA profiling services, along with established protocols, quick and reliable results as well as full bioinformatics support for data handling and analyses.