The assistant dean of the Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnologies for Postgraduate Studies at the University of Baghdad, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ismail Hussein Aziz) has published a scientific research paper entitled: (A study comparing the oncogenic microRNA-21-5p and the CA15-3 characteristics as an effective tumor marker in breast cancer patients from Iraq) in the scientific journal classified within the Scopus database Revista Bionatura, in conjunction with the teaching professor at the College of Applied Sciences – University of Fallujah “Ruwaidah Abdul Rahman Abbas”.
The study aimed to compare the expression of serum (miR-21-5p) and CA 15-3 expression in the Iraqi population as more efficient biomarkers, then checking the MiRNA-21 main characters as a biomarker comparison with (CA15-3) levels. Circulating serum miRNA-21 expression was measured using (the quantitative Real Time-PCR technique) in 50 patients at various stages of breast cancer compared to 27 healthy controls.. The results showed that the expression of miRNA-21 and the concentration of CA15-3 increased significantly (p>0.01) in patients as compared to control, but the higher median level of MiRNA-21 than of CA15-3.