Journal Article

DZNE-2026-00429

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Up-regulation of tRNA-derived miR-1274b in tears of Parkinson's disease patients.

Salvi, E. ; Vannetiello, I. ; Cazzaniga, F. A. ; Ciullini, A. ; Demleitner, A. F. ; Andreasi, N. G. ; Tomé, S. ; Elia, A. E. ; Leta, V. ; Lingor, P.DZNE* ; Eleopra, R. ; Catania, M. ; Devigili, G. ; Moda, F.

2026
Elsevier Science Amsterdam [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2026.108305

Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms. Early diagnosis remains challenging due to the lack of reliable, non-invasive biomarkers. Here, we explored the potential of tear fluid (TF) as a diagnostic source by profiling its microRNA (miRNA) content.The study included a discovery (8 PD, 7 healthy controls (HC)) and a replication cohort (9 PD, 9 HC). miRNA expression was assessed using TaqMan Human MicroRNA arrays. Independent in-silico validation was conducted using a qPCR-based miRNA array dataset comprising pooled cDNA samples from controls (n = 10) and PD patients (n = 29). The relationship between microRNA expression and composite clinical scores in PD patients was explored. Target gene prediction, pathway enrichment, and interaction network analyses were performed.The t-RNA-derived miR-1274b was consistently upregulated in the TF of PD patients across the discovery and replication cohorts, with additional in-silico support from the independent dataset. Increased expression was particularly evident in a PD subgroup characterized by combined non-motor autonomic symptoms. Predicted target genes were associated with neurodegeneration and cellular dysfunction. Over-representation analysis highlighted pathways related to negative regulation of synaptic transmission, while network analysis revealed interactions between miRNA targets and key PD-related genes, supporting a potential role in disease mechanisms.Our findings identify miR-1274b as a TF-based miRNA associated with PD, supporting its potential as a non-invasive biomarker. Further studies with larger cohorts and other neurodegenerative diseases are needed to validate these results and explore their clinical applicability.

Keyword(s): Biomarker ; Noncoding RNA ; Parkinson's disease ; Tear fluid

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Clinical Research (Munich) (Clinical Research (Munich))

Research Program(s):

1. 353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353) (POF4-353)

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Database coverage:
; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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