Circulating Non-Coding RNAs as Clinical Biomarkers

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in cancer and other diseases and have shown great potential as tissue-based markers for cancer classification and prognostication. ncRNAs are present in membrane-bound vesicles, such as exosomes, in extracellular human body fluids. Since miRNAs and the other ncRNAs circulate in the bloodstream in highly stable, extracellular forms, they may be used as blood-based biomarkers. The identification and use of non-invasive biomarkers is a fundamental tool for biomedical research but optimal and standardized conditions for processing blood samples for RNA measurement remain to be established. In this chapter we discuss recent discoveries, controversial topics on circulating ncRNAs and present several public resources recently developed.