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Updated: Nov 16, 2025
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Engineering Artificial Factors to Specifically Manipulate Alternative Splicing in Human Cells
Published on: April 26, 2017
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Alternative splicing and cancer: a systematic review
Yuanjiao Zhang1,2, Jinjun Qian2, Chunyan Gu3,4
1The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
|February 24, 2021
Summary
Alternative splicing dysregulation drives cancer by altering protein diversity. This review covers its roles in tumor progression and emerging RNA-based cancer therapies.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
- Genetics
Background:
- Alternative splicing dysregulation is a hallmark of cancer, leading to diverse protein isoforms.
- Aberrant splicing contributes to tumor progression, influencing key cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review alternative splicing regulatory mechanisms in cancer.
- To explore the functions of alternative splicing in tumor development and progression.
- To discuss therapeutic strategies targeting aberrant splicing in cancer.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of literature on alternative splicing in cancer.
- Analysis of regulatory mechanisms, functional impacts, and therapeutic approaches.
- Inclusion of studies on splicing factors, non-coding RNAs, and RNA-based therapies.
Main Results:
- Abnormal splicing acts as oncogenic drivers or bystander factors in tumor progression.
- Alterations in splicing factors and non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, circRNAs) are implicated in tumorigenesis.
- Targeting splicing offers potential therapeutic avenues, including cancer immunotherapy.
Conclusions:
- Alternative splicing plays a critical role in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis.
- Therapeutic strategies targeting splicing mechanisms show promise for cancer treatment.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex relationship between alternative splicing and cancer.
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