Toiyama Y, et al. – This research aspired to ascertain whether specific microRNA (miRNA) signature patterns (MIR1, MIR9, MIR124, MIR137, MIR34B/C) could be used to identify patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who were at increased risk for colorectal neoplasia. The clinicians found specific miRNAs to be methylated in rectal mucosal samples from patients with UC with dysplasia or colorectal cancer (CRC) compared with patients without neoplasms in evaluation and validation cohorts. Also, this pattern correlated with patient age and could be used to identify patients with UC at greatest risk for developing UC–CRC. The findings gave evidence for a field defect in rectal mucosa from patients with UC–CRC.