Exosomes from human saliva as a source of microRNA biomarkers

• Published in: Oral diseases Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 34 - 38
• Main Authors: Michael, A, Bajracharya, SD, Yuen, PST, Zhou, H, Star, RA, Illei, GG, Alevizos, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-2010
• Subjects: biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Case-Control Studies; Dentistry; Exosomes - chemistry; Humans; microRNA; MicroRNAs - isolation & purification; MicroRNAs - metabolism; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Saliva - chemistry; salivary exosomes; Sjogren's Syndrome - genetics
• ISSN: 1354-523X; 1601-0825
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-0825.2009.01604.x

Objective:  The aim of this study was to examine the presence of microRNAs (miRNAs) within exosomes isolated from human saliva and to optimize and test methods for successful downstream applications.
Design:  Exosomes isolated from fresh and frozen glandular and whole human saliva were used as a source of miRNAs. The presence of miRNAs was validated with TaqMan quantitative PCR and miRNA microarrays.
Results:  We successfully isolated exosomes from human saliva from healthy controls and a patient with Sjögren’s syndrome. microRNAs extracted from the exosomal fraction were sufficient for quantitative PCR and microarray profiling.
Conclusions:  The isolation of miRNAs from easily and non‐invasively obtained salivary exosomes with subsequent characterization of the miRNA expression patterns is promising for the development of future biomarkers of the diagnosis and prognosis of various salivary gland pathologies.