First genomic biomarkers in extracellular vesicles in veterinary patients
In their analysis of circulating exosome miRNA (Ex-miRNA), researchers found that the expressions not only change with disease progression and development of heart failure in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease but also exhibit changes solely on the basis of aging in dogs. Additionally, they found that Ex-miRNA expression level changes appear to be more specific to disease states than the measure of miRNA from plasma without attention to the isolation of Ex-miRNA. This suggests that Ex-miRNA may offer a novel approach that improves upon current established methods of monitoring patients with heart disease and other diseases, yet relies on readily available samples such as blood and urine. Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs closely resembles mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in humans, which causes disruption and fragmentation of the collagen and elastic fibers within the valves. In dogs, MMVD is the most common acquired cardiac disease and cause of congestive heart fai...