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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the most common forms of adult leukemia. Disease prognosis and treatment response vary significantly among patients, while current empirical methods often provide insufficient predictive value. In particular, patients diagnosed at an early stage of the disease cannot be reliably distinguished according to their risk of rapid disease progression. CEITEC Masaryk University offers a technology for the reproducible determination of the absolute copy number of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) in samples from patients with B-cell leukemia and lymphoma. The method can assist physicians in predicting whether and how patients will respond to therapy.
Technology Description
The invention provides a method for the absolute quantification of miR-34a and/or miR-150. The expression of these miRNAs is determined in a biological sample obtained from the patient together with the expression of an endogenous control. At the same time, the expression of synthetic miRNA standards and endogenous controls with a known number of molecules is measured. The method is based on quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and enables reproducible determination of the absolute copy number of specific miRNAs.
Key Benefits
- qRT-PCR-based analytical method.
- Determination of miR-34a and miR-150 as clinically relevant biomarkers.
- Improved prognostic and predictive performance compared with currently available methods.
Fields of Application
The technology is suitable for:
- In vitro diagnostics of CLL and other B-cell malignancies.
- Prognosis of CLL and prediction of treatment response.
- Monitoring disease progression and early detection of aggressive disease variants.
Intellectual Property Protection
Patent No. CZ306080B6
Development Stage
TRL 4 – Technology validated in a laboratory environment.
Research Team
- Research Group: Microenvironment of Immune Cells
- Inventor: MUDr. Mgr. Marek Mráz, Ph.D.
Seeking Collaboration Opportunities
The technology is available for further development, validation, and commercialization. We welcome discussions with partners active in molecular diagnostics, oncology, hematology, biomarker development, and precision medicine.
