What is microRNA — and why does it matter?
microRNAs are tiny, powerful molecules that regulate gene expression in every cell of your body. When disease develops, your microRNA patterns change — and those changes circulate in your blood.
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules, typically 19–25 nucleotides long, that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They were first discovered in 1993, and their significance was recognized with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation.1
There are over 2,500 known human microRNAs, and they regulate an estimated 60% of all protein-coding genes. Every cell type — cancer cells, heart muscle cells, neurons — produces a distinctive microRNA signature. When cells become diseased, their microRNA output changes, and these altered molecules are released into the bloodstream as circulating cell-free microRNAs.
This is what makes microRNA profiling so powerful: your blood contains a molecular record of what is happening in every organ of your body. Unlike DNA testing (which tells you what you're predisposed to), microRNA profiling tells you what is happening right now — making it uniquely suited for early detection of active disease.
Why microRNA is the future of screening: Unlike traditional biomarkers that detect a single protein from a single organ, microRNA patterns reflect the activity of thousands of genes across your entire body. One blood sample. Thousands of data points. A molecular portrait of your health.
From MCED to MMDS — a platform, not just a test.
miCheckup is built on a microRNA multi-disease screening (MMDS) platform. Today it powers multi-cancer early detection (MCED). Tomorrow, the same science may extend far beyond cancer.
MCED — multi-cancer early detection — is the application of microRNA profiling to cancer. miCheckup analyzes patterns of circulating microRNAs for signals associated with multiple solid tumor cancers, providing an early warning before symptoms appear. This is what miCheckup does today, validated across thousands of peer-reviewed blood samples.23
MMDS — microRNA multi-disease screening — is the broader platform. Because microRNA patterns change with all disease — not just cancer — the same blood sample and the same analytical framework can potentially detect signals associated with cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and more.
This is not theoretical. Peer-reviewed research has documented microRNA pattern changes in coronary artery disease, heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, and dozens of other conditions. The technology behind miCheckup is designed as a platform — each disease application is an algorithm applied to the same rich molecular dataset.
Today, miCheckup is an MCED test. The MMDS platform is where the science is heading — and your microRNA data from today may be the foundation for future health insights across multiple disease domains.
Peer-reviewed. Published. Validated on thousands of blood samples.
miCheckup's microRNA analysis is not based on preliminary research. It is validated, published, and independently peer-reviewed.
The microRNA diagnostic model underlying miCheckup has been validated across thousands of peer-reviewed blood samples, with results published in two major scientific journals:
- Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio, 2024) — the primary validation study demonstrating multi-cancer detection from circulating cell-free microRNAs2
- Cancers (MDPI, 2022) — the foundational diagnostic model establishing high-accuracy multi-cancer early detection from blood-based microRNA3
In the 2024 validation study, the model achieved:
- Greater than 99% specificity — fewer than 1 in 100 participants without cancer received a suspected cancer signal
- Greater than 90% sensitivity for the majority of validated cancer types
- Sensitivity varies by cancer type
Ongoing validation continues through the Ontario Health Study using 4,000+ Canadian blood samples, and through real-world clinical use as part of the miPREVA Research Program.
Laboratory-Developed Test (LDT): miCheckup is performed at an accredited Canadian medical laboratory certified by the Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare (IQMH). Your blood sample is collected, processed, and analyzed entirely within Canada.
