MicroRNA expressions abnormalities in pancreatic endocrine and acinar tumors

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of diagnosing whether a subject having pancreatic cancer at risk of developing liver metastasis, comprising: measuring the level of at least miR-21 gene product in a test sample from said subject, wherein an increase in the level of the miR-21 gene product in the test sample, relative to the level of a corresponding miR-21 gene product in a control sample, is indicative of the subject either having, or being at risk for developing, such metastasis. The present invention also relates to a probe for hybridization comprising a miRNA selected from a sequence that is complementary to a miR-21; a fragment thereof and a sequence having at least about 80% identity thereto.