Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Dual CRISPR-Interference Strategy for Targeting Synthetic Lethal Interactions Between Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer Cells
07:23

Dual CRISPR-Interference Strategy for Targeting Synthetic Lethal Interactions Between Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer Cells

Published on: May 30, 2025

1.0K

Altered RNA Processing in Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy

Esther A Obeng1, Connor Stewart2, Omar Abdel-Wahab3

  • 1Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee. abdelwao@mskcc.org esther.obeng@stjude.org.

Cancer Discovery
|October 16, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Genomic alterations impact RNA processing in cancer, creating new therapeutic targets. Understanding these mutations in RNA splicing and polyadenylation is key to developing novel cancer treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Genomic alterations are crucial for understanding cancer development and treatment.
  • Large-scale genomic studies reveal mutations affecting RNA processing, including splicing, transport, editing, and decay.
  • Aberrant RNA processing in cancer creates novel therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the biological impact of genetic alterations in RNA processing on tumorigenesis.
  • To discuss therapeutic strategies targeting cancer cells with mutations in RNA processing.
  • To highlight the significance of RNA splicing and polyadenylation alterations in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Review of major genomic studies and literature on cancer pathogenesis and therapy.
  • Analysis of mutations affecting cotranscriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation.
  • Discussion of clinical development of therapies targeting RNA processing defects.

Main Results:

  • Genetic alterations affecting RNA splicing and polyadenylation are common in cancer.
  • Mutations can occur within individual genes or RNA processing factors, impacting multiple downstream genes.
  • Aberrant RNA processing presents novel therapeutic opportunities.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the role of RNA processing alterations in cancer is critical for identifying new therapeutic targets.
  • Targeting RNA processing defects offers promising avenues for cancer treatment.
  • Further research into the biological impact and therapeutic potential of these mutations is warranted.

More Related Videos

CRISPR Gene Editing Tool for MicroRNA Cluster Network Analysis10:40

CRISPR Gene Editing Tool for MicroRNA Cluster Network Analysis

Published on: April 25, 2022

2.8K
Targeted RNA Sequencing Assay to Characterize Gene Expression and Genomic Alterations11:52

Targeted RNA Sequencing Assay to Characterize Gene Expression and Genomic Alterations

Published on: August 4, 2016

10.8K

Related Concept Videos

MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
3.7K
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After...
23.8K
RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
60.2K
Experimental RNAi02:15

Experimental RNAi

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
7.2K
RNA Editing02:23

RNA Editing

RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification where a precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) nucleotide sequence is changed by base insertion, deletion, or modification. The extent of RNA editing varies from a few hundred bases, in mitochondrial DNA of trypanosomes, to a just single base, in nuclear genes of mammals. Even a single base change in the pre-mRNA can convert a codon for one amino acid into the codon for another amino acid or a stop codon. This type of re-coding can significantly affect the...
9.7K
Alternative RNA Splicing02:18

Alternative RNA Splicing

Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
24.6K