Agilent launches microRNA assays:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Agilent has launched three microRNA microarray designs worldwide. The assays are updated versions of Agilent's first human microarray system, which was launched in April 2007, the Santa Clara, California-based firm said. The three tests (Human miRNA Microarray v2.0, Mouse miRNA Microarray v1.0 and Rat miRNA Microarray v1.0) measure the expression of microRNAs, short single-stranded RNA molecules which can regulate the production of proteins in the cell. They have been found to correlate with various disease states and could be used as biomarkers. Agilent said that pharmaceutical companies and academia were using the assays mainly to study cancer. Rosetta Genomics is also developing microRNA-based diagnostic tests for different forms of cancer, which it hopes to launch this year.