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Implications of Enhancer Transcription and eRNAs in Cancer

Santanu Adhikary1,2, Siddhartha Roy2, Jessica Chacon3

  • 1Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, India.

Cancer Research
|May 21, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are transcribed from gene regulatory elements and play a role in cancer development and drug resistance. Targeting eRNAs offers potential for new cancer therapies and biomarkers.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Therapy resistance is a major challenge in cancer treatment, leading to disease relapse.
  • Tumor genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity complicates treatment strategies.
  • Deregulation of gene regulatory elements like enhancers is implicated in cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of enhancer transcription and enhancer RNAs (eRNAs).
  • To explore the roles of eRNAs in cancer development and drug resistance.
  • To discuss the potential of eRNAs as therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on enhancer function, transcription, and eRNAs.
  • Analysis of genome-wide data identifying enhancer deregulation in cancer.
  • Synthesis of evidence linking eRNA expression to oncogenesis and therapy resistance.

Main Results:

  • Enhancers are transcribed into noncoding RNAs called eRNAs.
  • Aberrant eRNA expression is associated with uncontrolled enhancer activity and oncogenesis.
  • Tissue-specific eRNAs from active enhancers show potential as cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Conclusions:

  • Enhancer RNAs are critical regulators in cancer.
  • Understanding eRNA mechanisms can lead to novel strategies for overcoming cancer drug resistance.
  • eRNAs represent promising targets for future cancer therapies.

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