MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类长度约为22个核苷酸的RNA分子,它们通过与靶标mRNAs完全或不完全互补配对,进而导致靶标mRNA的降解或翻译的抑制。大量研究表明,它们在细胞增殖、分化、凋亡和肿瘤形成等广泛的生物学过程中都起着重要的作用。传统检测miRNAs表达的方法主要包括Northern杂交、实时定量PCR和基因芯片等技术。然而,这些检测手段常常耗时耗力,并且需要重复制备样本和进行侵入性检测。近年来,分子影像技术的快速发展使得在体、无创、实时研究miRNAs成为可能。本文针对所采用报告基因系统的不同,系统回顾了近年来检测miRNAs表达的分子影像学技术及其原理。
MicroRNAs(miRNAs) are RNA molecules of approximately 22 nucleotides(nt) that recognize target mRNAs by perfect or imperfect complementary base-pairing and thereby result in mRNA degradation or translation repression.A large number of studies have revealed essential roles for miRNAs in a wide variety of biological processes such as cellular proliferation,differentiation,apoptosis and tumorigenesis.Currently,methods like northern blot,real-time PCR or microarray,have been widely used to quantify miRNA expression.However,these techniques are often time-consuming,laborious and of requiring repetitive sampling and invasive procedures.Recently,the remarkable development of molecular imaging techniques have enabled repeated noninvasive quantitative imaging of miRNAs in living cells.Herein,we reviewed the molecular imaging strategies that have been developed to visualize miRNA expression in living subjects based on different reporter gene systems.