MicroRNA Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Products & Services (Profiling, Localization, & Quantification), By Application (Cancer, Neurological Disease,) By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global microRNA market size was valued at USD 1.43 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.64% from 2023 to 2030. The growth of the market is attributed to several factors, including, the widespread adoption of the majority of the (microRNA) miRNA tools as ideal candidates for biomarkers, growing incidences of genetic diseases, coupled with technological advancements in sequencing technologies. The rise in demand for precision medicine and the increasing incidence of gene-based diseases have driven the advancement of miRNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics. Groundbreaking innovations such as CRISPR and NGS in biotechnology have positively influenced growth in genomics as well as the healthcare sector. These innovations have accelerated the number of clinical trials in miRNA therapeutics. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has augmented microRNA research for gene expression and vaccine development of the disease. For instance, a study published in April 2020, suggested that the use of in-vitro-constructed miRNA specific to the SARS CoV-2 RNA genome can be used for vaccine or therapeutic development. Growth in such studies involving microRNAs exhibited a positive impact on the market.

Advancements in sequencing technologies, computational biology, as well as library preparation protocols, have significantly enhanced the understanding of miRNAs across various research fields. For instance, in an article published in March 2021, a team of researchers from the U.S. and Canada proposed a bioinformatics approach for miRNA sequencing analysis. This method was predicted to improve the reproducibility and clarity of miRNA-sequencing analysis.

Similarly, in an article published in Elsevier, in April 2022, a team of researchers provided a summary of current large-cohort studies that show the clinical value of circulating miRNAs for the early diagnosis of disease. and the current developments in miRNA detection technologies, such as point-of-care testing (POCT), which enables early disease detection. Thus, technological advancements have resulted in greater adoption of RNA sequencing protocols in biotechnology research.

Numerous diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative conditions, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular diseases are characterized by the deregulation of miRNAs. These have gained rapid significance as ideal candidates for biomarkers. In recent years, demand for miRNA has increased, owing to its rapid adoption for investigations as safety biomarkers, especially in cancer-related research. In addition, there are several potential biopharmaceutical candidates, miRNAs being one of them, continue to enter the commercial space for the development of future medicines.

Products & Services Insights

The services segment accounted for the largest share of 60.64% of the market in 2022. This segment is also expected to become the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR of 13.36% during the forecast period. Among services, profiling, localization & quantification services held the largest market share of over 25.74% in 2022. In life, science research, PCR instruments are commonly used for miRNA quantification. Furthermore, real-time PCR, NGS, and microarrays are some of the commonly used methods for miRNA profiling. Thermo Fisher Scientific; Quantabio; and Agilent Technologies are some major companies that are offering instruments for miRNA profiling.

The other services segment which includes target prediction and validation among others is expected to grow with the fastest CAGR of 14.50% owing to the high specificity & sensitivity, easy data analysis, and no requirement for highly sophisticated equipment. For instance, according to a Nature article published in January 2023, a group of researchers developed plant-specific miRNA targets that are correctly predicted by P-TarPmiR. Their findings show that the highest accurate plant-specific miRNA target predictor is obtained by completely excluding animal training data, suggesting that animal-based data may hinder plant miRNA target prediction. All miRNA inside the soybean genome is predicted to have targets using the final P-TarPmiR approach.

The products segment held a significant market share of 39.36% in 2022. Factors such as growing application as a potential biomarker in disease diagnosis and the presence of a substantial number of companies offering consumables such as kits and reagents for miRNA expression studies are chiefly attributed to the growth of the segment. Thermo Fisher Scientific; QIAGEN NV; Promega Corporation; and Sigma Aldrich are among a few key players operating in this segment.

Based on instruments, real-time PCR technology dominated the market in 2022, with a share of over 33.89%. It is considered a gold standard when compared to other techniques for the detection of miRNA and is an important tool for profiling subsets of miRNA.  Factors such as the high preference of customers and the established presence of PCR technologies coupled with good reproducibility, high sensitivity, and ability to quantify expression are expected to assist in revenue growth. Key market players are involved in the development and provide additional services to customers to improve their market presence. For instance, Arraystar, Inc. has developed miRStar Human Cancer Focus microRNA PCR qPCR Arrays as an add-on to its miRStar microRNA PCR Array Service. This array is designed to profile 184 human cancer miRNAs and their 178 target mRNAs.

NGS is expected to witness substantial growth at a CAGR of 13.26% during the forecast period. The adoption of NGS in the field of genomics is rapidly growing, particularly in miRNA research. Factors such as high-quality results, less time consumption, and lowering prices are propelling segment growth. This technology is gaining popularity as it is a powerful tool for enabling systematic studies of the genome and it also provides insights for better disease understanding. In addition, next-generation sequencing is integrated with several informatics tools that allow fast processing for analyzing complex miRNA sequencing data.

End-Use Insights

The academic & government research institutes segment dominated with a market share of 52.10% in 2022. The segment is one of the major revenue generators of the miRNA market. MiRNA techniques and associated products are being extensively used in numerous research studies that are being conducted by research and academic institutes. Moreover, an increasing number of research studies are likely to boost market growth.

For instance, in October 2022, a team of BHU researchers from the School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Varanasi, discovered a microRNA that particularly destroys cervical cancer cells. Future research on the study's findings may result in a harmless cervical cancer treatment called micro-RNA therapy.

The other end-use segment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR of 13.12% during the forecast period. The growing importance of microRNA for the diagnosis of several diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases by diagnostic labs, CROs, and hospitals is also set to contribute to market growth.

Application Insights

The cancer segment accounted for the largest share of 33.70% of the market in 2022. The highest revenue share is due to high investments in cancer research adopting miRNA signatures. Furthermore, progress in clinical trials for therapies based on miRNA and clinical diagnostic tests for the differentiation of cancer subtypes and the stage is anticipated to fuel revenue growth. miRNA diagnostics is not only a surplus approach for the diagnosis of differentiated cancer but is also considered a potential breakthrough in cancers of unknown origin.

This is likely to increase the use of miRNA microarrays to profile cancer patients.Besides, the active contribution of numerous global organizations, such as the National Cancer Institute, National Foundation for Cancer Research, Cancer Research Institute, and Cancer Research UK, in cancer research is expected to influence the progress of this application segment during the forecast period.

The infectious diseases segment is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 17.80% during the forecast period. miRNAs are rapidly being recognized as robust biomarkers of human diseases, as they play a significant role in the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Thus, the aforementioned factors are attributable to the segment growth. Furthermore, the sudden increase in the growth rate of the infectious diseases segment is observed during the pandemic period owing to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest market share of 43.49% in 2022; Factors such as the local presence of a substantial number of key players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific; Illumina Inc.; PerkinElmer, Inc.; among others, coupled with an upsurge in research and development spending by key players to develop innovative and advanced products are attributed for the miRNA industry growth in the region.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow with the fastest growth rate of 14.41% over the forecast period. Factors such as the presence of a significant target population, faster adoption of an array of technologies, several startups coupled with developing healthcare infrastructure, and the existence of high-unmet clinical needs are anticipated to provide growth opportunities to key manufacturers in the region.

For instance, in January 2022, BIORCHESTRA and SK Biopharmaceuticals entered into a partnership in the study and creation of novel therapeutic substances that target microRNAs (miRNA) as a potential epilepsy treatment. As per the terms of the collaboration agreement, the South Korean biotech business BIORCHESTRA, which creates RNA therapies for neurological illnesses, will be in charge of target research, selection, and synthesis using proprietary technologies.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Market participants in this industry are consistently engaged in the development of novel instruments, tools, and kits with high reproducibility, accessibility, and specificity. For instance, in January 2023, Bio-Techne Corporation launched the RNAscope Plus smRNA-RNA detection assay to expand its Advanced Cell Diagnostics branded RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH) portfolio. The newly launched assay is a combination of proprietary RNAscope and miRNAscope ISH technologies that enables the researchers to measure changes in gene expression and cellular function in response to the introduction of regulatory RNAs. Some prominent players in the global microRNA market include:

• Merck KGaA

• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.  

• Horizon Discovery Ltd.

• Synlogic

• QIAGEN

• GeneCopoeia, Inc.  

• New England Biolabs

• Quantabio

• NanoString

• BioGenex

• SeqMatic LLC

• Miltenyi Biotec

• Sistemic Scotland Limited

• Biodynamics Laboratory Inc.

• OriGene Technologies, Inc.

MicroRNA Market Report Scope

Global MicroRNA Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, & country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this report, Grand View Research has segmented the global microRNA (miRNA) market report based on products & services, application, end-use, and region:

• Product & Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Products

    • Instruments

      • By Technology

        • Real-Time PCR

        • Microarray

        • NGS

        • Others

      • By Workflow

        • Isolation & Purification

        • miRNA cDNA Synthesis

        • Profiling, Localization, & Quantification

        • Functional Analysis & Others

        • Others

    • Consumables

      • By Specimen

        • Whole Blood

        • Serum

        • Plasma

        • FFPE

        • Fresh Frozen Tissue

        • Others

      • By Workflow

        • Isolation & Purification

        • miRNA cDNA Synthesis

        • Profiling, Localization, & Quantification

        • Functional Analysis

        • Others

  • Services

    • By Type

      • Isolation & Purification

      • miRNA cDNA Synthesis

      • Profiling, Localization, & Quantification

      • Functional Analysis

      • Others

    • By Specimen

      • Whole Blood

      • Serum

      • Plasma

      • FFPE

      • Fresh Frozen Tissue

      • Others

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Cancer

  • Infectious Diseases

  • Immunological Disorder

  • Cardiovascular DiseaseNeurological Disease

  • Others

• End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Companies

  • Academic & Government Research Institutes

  • Other end-users

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • UK

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Denmark

    • Sweden

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • Australia

    • South Korea

    • Thailand

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • South Africa

    • UAE

    • Kuwait