Exosomal preparations from clinical biofluids typically yield 1 to 10 ng total RNA per ml of plasma. This is far below the input needed for standard miRNA arrays or RNA-seq library prep protocols. Amplification kits use template-switching or ligation-based approaches to amplify the miRNA pool from sub-nanogram inputs. They preserve relative abundance, which makes downstream array hybridisation or qPCR panel analysis possible.
Extracellular Vesicles / Exosomes
Exosome miRNA Profiling Kits for qPCR Panels and Broad miRNA Expression Analysis
Exosome miRNA profiling kits for low-input RNA, from purification to qPCR panel readout
Exosomal RNA comes in tiny amounts, often 1 ng or less. Exosome miRNA profiling kits support low-input exosomal RNA analysis through either exosomal RNA purification and amplification for broad miRNA profiling, microarray analysis or NGS, or direct exosome lysis and RT-qPCR for your targeted gene-expression analysis. Validated workflows include hybridisation arrays and dedicated qPCR profiling workflows, with human, mouse, and rat versions for your species.
The two formats suit your workflow. Complete kits amplify and profile your exosomal RNA in one workflow. Purification-only kits isolate the RNA and leave the profiling to you.
Both formats are SeraMir kits, available for human, mouse, and rat. The purification-only SeraMir kits recover your exosomal RNA from serum or plasma, ascites, cell culture media, and urine.
Choose your exosomal miRNA profiling approach by depth and throughput.
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Species. For your human plasma or serum, use the human profiling kit, with or without a qPCR panel. For a mouse model, use the mouse version. For your rat model, use the rat version. All species options use the same workflow.
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Profiling platform. For SeraMir qPCR profiling, use your amplified cDNA with the relevant qPCR profiling workflow. For microarray hybridisation, your amplified product is compatible with standard miRNA microarray protocols. For NGS, isolate miRNA with a small-RNA isolation kit and proceed with small-RNA library prep.
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Starting RNA amount. For very low input, below 5 ng of your exosomal RNA, amplification-based kits are designed for this range. For standard input, above 10 ng, standard miRNA reverse-transcription kits may be enough. Above this threshold, the amplification step adds cost without extra benefit. However, amplification workflows such as SeraMir can still improve data quality and reproducibility compared with non-optimised methods; the decision should therefore depend on the sample type, RNA yield and downstream application.
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Panel included or not. If you have your own qPCR panel, order the amplification kit alone. If you need a pre-designed panel, order the complete bundle. Contact BioCat to confirm kit configurations.
Applications
Liquid biopsy and cancer biomarker research
Circulating miRNA signatures from EV-encapsulated RNA support early cancer detection, disease monitoring, and treatment-response assessment in your research, protected from plasma nucleases by the vesicle membrane. Pair profiling kits with exosome isolation reagents for serum and plasma to prepare your starting material.
Neurodegeneration biomarker studies
Profiling the miRNA cargo in CSF or plasma-derived EVs across your patient cohorts helps identify candidates linked to disease progression. Exosome RNA extraction kits recover the low RNA amounts typical of these sample types ahead of amplification.
Intercellular signalling research
miRNA profiling of EVs secreted by stimulated immune or stromal cells identifies regulatory signals passed to recipient cells. Combine with other extracellular vesicle research tools to map the full signalling pathway.
Cardiovascular and metabolic biomarker research
EV-encapsulated miRNA in plasma reflects cardiac and metabolic tissue states, supporting biomarker discovery in heart disease and diabetes. The vesicle membrane shields the miRNA from plasma nucleases during collection.
Product Catalog
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Exosome microRNA Profiling
Exosome miRNA Profiling Kits from Low-Input RNA to qPCR
Frequently asked questions
Add synthetic spike-in controls, such as cel-miR-39 or cel-miR-54, in defined amounts before RNA extraction. These serve as extraction efficiency controls. For qPCR panels, use global mean normalisation across all detected miRNAs when you cannot identify a suitable invariant reference miRNA. Report the spike-in recovery alongside your profiling data. This lets reviewers assess technical variability across samples.
Most workflows need 250 to 500 ul of plasma as starting material to recover enough exosomal RNA for amplification-based profiling. Some amplification kits are validated from as little as 100 ul of plasma-derived EV RNA. For data quality, process samples in batches of consistent volume and use identical isolation methods across the cohort. This matters more than maximising input volume.
EV-enclosed miRNA is the subset that cells actively package and secrete. It is enriched in specific miRNA species relative to the bulk plasma pool. Total cell-free RNA includes miRNA associated with Argonaute complexes, HDL particles, and apoptotic bodies, in addition to EV cargo. EV miRNA profiles tend to be more informative about cell type, while total plasma miRNA captures a broader circulating signal. Researchers often study both compartments in parallel in broad liquid biopsy pipelines.
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