Forewords by: Sidney Altman, Yale University, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1989 and Victor R. Ambros, Dartmouth Medical School, Co-discoverer of MicroRNAs
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This page intentionally left blank MicroRNAs MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionary conserved RNA molecules that regulate gene expression, and their recent discovery is currently revolutionizing both basic biomedical research and drug discovery. Expression levels of miRNAs have been found to vary between tissues and with developmental stages and hence evaluation of the global expression of miRNAs potentially provides opportunities to identify regulatory points for many different biological processes. This wide-ranging reference work, written by leading experts from both academia and industry, will be an invaluable resource for all those wishing to use miRNA techniques in their own research, from graduate students, post-docs and researchers in academia to those working in research and development in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies who need to understand this emerging technology. From the discovery of miRNAs and their functions to their detection and role in disease biology, this volume uniquely integrates the basic science with industry application towards drug validation, diagnostic and therapeutic development. K R I S H N A R A O A P P A S A N I is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gene Expression Systems, a gene discovery company, focusing on functional genomics in cancer research. He is the Editor of RNA Interference: From Basic Science to Drug Development (2005). To my wife Shyamala for her 25 years companionship MicroRNAs FROM BASIC SCIENCE TO DISEASE BIOLOGY Edited by Krishnarao Appasani GeneExpression Systems, Inc. Forewords by Victor R. Ambros Dartmouth Medical School and Sidney Altman Yale University Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1989 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521865982 © Cambridge University Press 2008 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2007 ISBN-13 978-0-511-45511-7 eBook (EBL) ISBN-13 978-0-521-86598-2 hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of