Fig. 4
From: Novel roles of PIWI proteins and PIWI-interacting RNAs in human health and diseases
Potential value of piRNAs/PIWI proteins as clinical markers. piRNAs/PIWI proteins are mainly detected in tissues, serum, gastric juice and urine as biomarkers. As a biomarker, it also needs to meet the characteristics of high sensitivity, specificity, and convenient detection. Among them, the red targets are tumor suppressor factors, and their expression is positively proportional to the prognosis of patients. The black target is the pro-cancer factor, and the higher its expression, the worse the prognosis of the patient