The SOT miRNA Biomarkers for Toxicology Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology (CCT) conference will be held Sunday, March 12, 2016, in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, regulatory RNAs that control gene expression posttranscriptionally, thus acting as epigenetic regulators within cells. Recent data demonstrates that some miRNAs are specific to or enriched in certain cell types and/or organs and that they are released upon cellular damage, supporting their potential as non-invasive biomarkers of injury.
Several consortia efforts have been established to discover and validate miRNA biomarkers that:
- Provide insight into injury mode of action.
- Distinguish the specific injury location and affected cell type.
- Are more sensitive for detection than “gold standard” protein biomarkers.
This CCT will serve as a forum for the communication of recent discovery efforts and discussion of miRNA biomarker research efforts between consortia partners and independent researchers, which is a critical step toward the streamlined utilization of promising biomarkers for nonclinical and clinical safety assessment.
For addition information and to register, please visit the SOT website. CCT registrants are encouraged to participate in the 55th SOT Annual Meeting, March 13‒17 for which a separate registration is required. Please see the SOT 2016 Annual Meeting website for additional information.