Identification of serum microRNAs associated with prostate cancer in a mouse model of disease

There is an urgent need for new biomarkers to enhance the clinical management of prostate cancer. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as useful non-invasive markers of disease. The objective of this study was to test the utility of a mouse model of prostate cancer as a tool to discover serum miRNAs that could be applied in a clinical setting. Global miRNA profiling using microarrays identified 46 miRNAs at differential levels in the serum of TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) mice compared to their wild-type littermates. Total RNA extracted from the serum of 9 mice with advanced disease was pooled into 3 groups (TRAMP serum RNA 1, 2 and 3). Serum RNA from age-matched wild-type littermates, pooled as above, served as the control set.