Systematic evaluation of multiple qPCR platforms, NanoString and miRNA-Seq for microRNA biomarker discovery in human biofluids

Aberrant miRNA expression has been associated with many diseases, and extracellular miRNAs that circulate in the bloodstream are remarkably stable. Recently, there has been growing interest in identifying cell-free circulating miRNAs that can serve as non-invasive biomarkers for early detection of disease or selection of treatment options. However, quantifying miRNA levels in biofluids is technically challenging due to their low abundance. Using reference samples, we performed a cross-platform evaluation in which miRNA profiling was performed on four different qPCR platforms (MiRXES, Qiagen, Applied Biosystems, Exiqon), nCounter technology (NanoString), and miRNA-Seq. Overall, our results suggest that using miRNA-Seq for discovery and targeted qPCR for validation is a rational strategy for miRNA biomarker development in clinical samples that involve limited amounts of biofluids.