MicroRNAs Provide Telltale Signature of Organ Rejection

Organ rejection has been causing organ failures since the first transplant on December 23, 1954, but a recent discovery may reveal a process of finding the damage before it's too late. A team of researchers led by Manikkam Suthanthiran a transplant physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have discovered a pattern of micro RNA levels which indicate whether an organ is merging with its new host or is undertaking acute rejection.


The team found a pattern of six microRNAs that could distinguish healthy kidneys from those in rejection

These micro RNA's are very short strands of approximately 20 units long, however with them is the ability to attach to larger messenger RNA's allowing them to regulate hundreds to thousands of genes. Previous to this discovery the idea was known, Manikkam Suthanthiran had found messenger RNA that could be found in urine to show signs of organ rejection however the technique was flawed as messenger RNA are very fragile and only sometimes made it far enough to be noticed. However now with micro RNA being much more stable and easily accessible these ideal candidates as indicators to organ rejection we may one day be able to determine whether an organ will succeed or fail before it is introduced into the host.

Reference:
Article "MicroRNAs Provide Telltale Signature of Organ Rejection" accessed on 24th March 2009
Written by Tina Hesman Saey
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