Complex sets of miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for colon cancer

1. A method for determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer, comprising the steps of:

(i) determining an expression profile of a set comprising at least two miRNAs representative for the status and/or the response of the immune system in a blood cell sample from a subject, wherein the blood cell sample is a blood cellular fraction consisting of a mixture of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets;

(ii) comparing said expression profile to a reference, wherein the comparison of said expression profile to said reference allows for determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in said subject; and,

(iii) determining the status and/or response of the immune system in the subject to diagnose whether the subject has colon cancer;

wherein the miRNAs comprised in the set are selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-588, a fragment thereof, and a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of miRNAs comprises at least one of the sets of miRNAs listed in FIG. 2 or FIG. 5 b or FIG. 7 .

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the set of miRNAs comprises at least one up-regulated miRNA listed in FIG. 8 a or 8 b or 8 c and/or at least one down-regulated miRNA listed in FIG. 9 a or 9 b or 9 c.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expression profile of the miRNAs is determined comprising the steps:

(a) extracting total RNA from said blood cell sample,

(b) reverse-transcribing the total RNA into cDNA, and

(c) amplifying the cDNA and thereby detecting the miRNA levels in said blood cell sample.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the reverse transcribing in step (b) is with universal or specific reverse transcription primers.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the amplifying of the cDNA in step (c) is with specific forward and universal reverse primers.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expression profile is determined from the total RNA isolated from the resuspended blood cell pellet of a centrifuged blood sample.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the blood is collected in a EDTA-, PAXgene- or Tempus-blood collection tube.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein an additive is employed to stabilize the miRNA fraction when the blood is collected.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the miRNAs are selected from: hsa-miR-19b (SEQ ID NO: 3), hsa-miR-20b (SEQ ID NO: 7), hsa-miR-640 (SEQ ID NO: 6) or hsa-miR-106a (SEQ ID NO: 5).

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the miRNAs are selected from a set of 32 miRNAs consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 33, 35, 39, 43, 50, 53, 59, 69, 79, 105;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 90% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the miRNAs are selected from a set of 56 miRNAs consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 35, 38, 39, 43, 45, 46, 47, 50, 53, 59, 61, 67, 69, 71, 73, 79, 80, 83, 84, 87, 91, 101, 105, 170, 182, 251;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 85% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the miRNAs are selected from a set of 58 miRNAs consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 35, 38, 39, 43, 45, 46, 47, 50, 53, 57, 59, 60, 61, 67, 69, 71, 73, 79, 80, 83, 84, 87, 91, 101, 105, 170, 182, 251;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 80% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the miRNAs are selected from a set of 60 miRNAs consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 35, 38, 39, 43, 45, 46, 47, 50, 53, 57, 59, 60, 61, 65, 66, 67, 69, 71, 73, 79, 80, 83, 84, 87, 91, 101, 105, 170, 182, 251;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 80% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the set of miRNAs comprises at least one set of miRNAs selected from the group consisting of SNC-1 to SNC-119 listed in FIG. 2 ;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 90% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the set of miRNAs comprises at least one set of miRNAs selected from the group consisting of SNC-1 to SNC-458 listed in FIG. 2 ;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 85% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the set of miRNAs comprises at least one set of miRNAs selected from the group consisting of SNC-1 to SNC-672 listed in FIG. 2 ;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 80% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the set of miRNAs comprises at least one set of miRNAs selected from the group consisting of SNC-1 to SNC-796 listed in FIG. 2 ;

wherein the sets of miRNAs provides at least a 75% accuracy in determining the status and/or the response of the immune system in a subject having or suspected of having colon cancer.