Circulating miRNAs have great potential as biomarkers due to their aberrant expression in cancer and other diseases. However, miRNAs from body fluids are hard to obtain in amounts sufficient for detailed miRNome profiling. This webinar presents an integrated, PCR-based system that reduces the amount of sample required for full miRNome profiling by several orders of magnitude and provides unparalleled reproducibility and precision. Detailed protocols will be shared regarding RNA isolation, real-time quantification, and data analysis for the assessment of serum, plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid samples. This system enables accurate miRNA analysis on the smallest of samples and opens up new possibilities for biomarker development.

Objectives Attendees will learn about:

• Sample preparation and real-time PCR technologies for miRNA biomarker discovery
• Developing a miRNA biomarker signature using a three stage process
• Workflows for quantification of miRNA from common body fluids such as serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and urine
• Normalization strategies for real-time PCR data derived from body fluid samples