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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

An In Vitro Protocol for Evaluating MicroRNA Levels, Functions, and Associated Target Genes in Tumor Cells
Published on: May 21, 2019
MicroRNAs as Biomarkers for Germ Cell Tumors
1Department of Medicine, Medical Oncology Division, BC Cancer Agency, University of British Columbia, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E6, Canada; Department of Urologic Sciences, Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Abstract:
Two clusters of microRNAs have been discovered highly expressed by seminoma and nonseminoma germ cell tumors. They are secreted in blood of patients with testicular germ cell tumors and can be extracted from the serum or plasma and quantified by real-time-polymerase chain reaction. Results have confirmed the feasibility of the technique and demonstrated that sensitivity and specificity of those microRNAs in detecting viable germ cell tumors are higher than with current methods. If operation characteristics are confirmed in larger studies, those microRNAs will be valuable to manage equivocal clinical scenarios characterized by high uncertainty and high risk of over-treatment or under-treatment.
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