Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Validation of circulating miR-323a-3p and miR-625-3p to classify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Friedreich’s ataxia

Ibáñez-Cabellos, J.S., Baviera-Muñoz, R., Alemany-Perna, B. et al. Validation of circulating miR-323a-3p and miR-625-3p to classify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Friedreich’s ataxia. Sci Rep 16, 15056 (2026). doi:10.1038/s41598-026-50975-4 

 This study validates a genetic blood "signature" that assists clinicians in identifying patients with Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA) who are developing cardiac or metabolic complications. 
The research explores the use of microRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers, aiming to identify blood indicators more accurate than current standards, such as troponin, for diagnosing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and diabetes. 
 Notably, the combination of two specific microRNAs (miR-323a-3p and miR-625-3p) demonstrated a superior ability to classify and predict HCM, outperforming traditional protein biomarkers. 
Furthermore, the study confirmed that other microRNAs, such as miR-128-3p and miR-130b-5p, are significantly elevated in patients suffering from both ataxia and diabetes.