Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Engineering Artificial Factors to Specifically Manipulate Alternative Splicing in Human Cells
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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
PubMed

Insights

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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