Deregulation of microRNA cluster on chromosome 24 in blood of horses with equine sarcoids may be predictive of disease outcome. Equine Sarcoids

Background: There are currently no means to predict the clinical outcome of equine sarcoid (ES) disease in single horses.Objective: To investigate if whole blood microRNA (miRNA) profiles are able to predict the long-term development of ES tumors. Animals: Five horses with regression and 5 with progression of ES lesions monitored over 5-7 years and 5 control horses free of ES for at least 5 years. Conclusions and clinical importance: Whole blood miRNA expression profiles are associated with long-term ES growth in horses and warrant further validation as prognostic biomarkers in a larger study cohort. Deregulation of miRNAs on equine chromosome 24 might represent a trigger for ES development and requires further investigation at tumor tissue level.