MiR-181b: new perspective to evaluate disease progression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Rosa Visone 1 , Angelo Veronese 1 , Veronica Balatti 2 , Carlo M. Croce 2 1 Department of Oncology and Experimental Medicine, “G. d'Annunzio” University and Unit of Molecular Pathology and Genomics, Aging Research Center (CeSI), “G. d'Annunzio” University Foundation, 66100, Chieti, Italy 2 Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Received: February 11, 2012; Accepted: February 14, 2012; Published: February 18, 2012; Keywords: miR-181b, diagnosis, CLL Correspondence: Carlo M. Croce, email: // // Abstract Over the past decades numerous markers of the tumor burden have been discovered in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Among these, the microRNAs seem to have a promising role. The development and validation of miRNAs as biomarkers should have significant impact in improving early cancer detection and diagnosis, enhancing therapeutic success, and increasing the life expectancy of patients. We identified miR-181b as a biomarker for the progression of this disease from indolent to aggressive. For this study we used sequential samples from patients with either progressive or stable course of the illness. Here, we discuss more extensively this issue by adding novel findings and introducing a novel approach for monitoring CLL patients.