CPC Class C12Q

The invention provides a marker related to quantitative traits of a Gramineae plant, and in particular, stalk length. Such Gramineae stalk-length-related marker comprises a continuous nucleic acid region selected from a region sandwiched between the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 and the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 of a chromosome of the Gramineae plant.

The invention provides a method of treating preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction (FGR or IUGR), obesity in pregnancy, post-partum cardiomyopathy (heart failure in mothers), cancer and diabetic retinopathy, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, wet microdegeneration and other disorders where angiogenesis is aberrant either diminished or exacerbated, comprising modulating the activity of micro RNA (miRNA). Also provided are an MiRNA modulator or a combination thereof or functional fragments or homologues thereof for use in the treatment of preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, obesity in pregnancy, cancer, and diabetic retinopathy, cardiomyocyte infarction, wet microdegeneration as well as other disorder where angiogenesis is aberrant either diminished or exacerbated. Methods of modulating angiogenesis and pharmaceutical compositions using miR-122, miR-374b or inhibitors of miR-152 or miR195 are also provided together with methods of diagnosis using the miRNAs.

Disclosed are methods and compositions for using microRNA (miRNA) for treating cancer. The methods and compositions include hsa-miR-204 and homologs of hsa-miR-204.