A new study published in the December issue of the Journal of Dental Research reveals a new breakthrough in salivary diagnostics, the non- invasive method of using saliva to diagnose oral and systemic conditions, including some cancers. The study shows a co- existence between the human saliva proteome (all the proteins found in an individual’s saliva) and the saliva transcriptome (all of the mRNAs (transcribed genes) found in an individual’s saliva). Transcriptome analysis involves the measurement of messenger RNA (mRNA) content, which is quicker and easier than measuring all of the protein in saliva, and may provide a more easily attainable platform for salivary diagnostics.
By analyzing the vast salivary proteomes and transcriptomes from three healthy subjects, the study found that over 90 percent of the salivary proteins had a corresponding mRNA in saliva. The high co-existence rate for saliva proteins and their counterpart mRNAs means that the salivary transcriptome can serve as a good indicator of the diversity and range of the salivary proteome and can be used as a guideline for human saliva proteome analysis.
“The technological process of finding all the proteins in one person’s saliva could take up to four months,” said David Wong, DMD, DMSc, associate dean of research at the UCLA School of Dentistry. “Genomics, on the other hand, is much faster. The platforms for identifying all the bits and pieces of genomic information, such as mRNA, in one person’s saliva take about 24 hours. Therefore, when you compare the difference in throughput of the two technologies, it will take much less time to use a genomic approach for salivary diagnostics.”
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