Researchers developed an RNA sequencing assay called Small-Input Liquid Volume Extracellular RNA Sequencing (SILVER-seq) to detect circulating extracellular RNA in 5-7-microliter droplets of blood serum from liquid biopsies of participants 18-48 years of age, and demonstrated that SILVER-seq can detect tissue-specific RNA molecules, such as brain-derived RNA, and distinguish male and female biopsies as well as samples from patients with breast cancer from control samples, suggesting that with further testing SILVER-seq may prove useful in diagnostic trials based on finger-prick blood samples, according to the authors.
Article #19-08252: " Extracellular RNA in a single droplet of human serum reflects physiologic and disease states," by Zhixu Zhu et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Shu Chien, University of California, San Diego, CA; tel: 858-534-5195; e-mail: shuchien@eng.ucsd.edu
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences