Non-invasive monitoring of fetal development

Researchers probed the temporal dynamics of gene transcription in the cell-free RNA of pregnant women’s blood plasma.  Microarray techniques and next-generation sequencing data identified and quantified transcripts from specific fetal tissues and placenta.  Findings suggest a route to diagnosing pregnancy complications and fetal abnormalities.  Methods might also identify neurodegenerative disorders.

Noninvasive in vivo monitoring of tissue-specific global gene expression in humans; W. Koh et al; PNAS; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1405528111

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/05/02/1405528111.abstract

Micro-RNA sensor for cancer diagnostics

Micro-RNA-21 is overexpressed in many cancers.  A new magnetobiosensor selectively detected micro-RNA-21 at low concentrations in cancer cells and tissue samples. RNA plant-virus proteins tethered to magnetic beads captured DNA duplexes formed by adding anti-Micro-RNA-21 to the Micro-RNA-21-containing samples.  Beads were captured on screen-printed electrodes for electrochemical detection of microRNA. 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201403270/full

Magnetobiosensors based on viral protein p19 for micro-RNA

determination in cancer cells and tissues; S. Campuzano et al; Angewandte Chemie International Edition, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201403270