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Engineering Artificial Factors to Specifically Manipulate Alternative Splicing in Human Cells
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Published on: April 26, 2017

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Alternative mRNA Splicing and Promising Therapies in Cancer

James D Fackenthal1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Health, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL 60532, USA.

Biomolecules
|March 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Alternative messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing plays a key role in cancer initiation and progression. Understanding these splicing variants and targeting them offers promising new cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cancer is a leading global cause of mortality.
  • Genetic and epigenetic factors are well-studied in cancer, but alternative mRNA splicing is an emerging area of focus.
  • Alternative splicing patterns differ between cancer and non-cancer cells, influencing cancer development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of alternative mRNA splicing in cancer initiation and progression.
  • To highlight how cancer cells are sensitive to drugs targeting the splicing regulatory network.
  • To discuss pathogenic splicing disruptions and their contribution to tumor progression.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on alternative mRNA splicing in cancer.
  • Analysis of examples of cancer-related alternative splicing events.
  • Discussion of therapeutic strategies targeting splicing.

Main Results:

  • Alternative mRNA splicing variants are distinct in cancer cells compared to normal cells.
  • Certain recurring splicing variants contribute to tumor progression.
  • Splicing disruptions can arise from mutations or altered balances of splicing variants.

Conclusions:

  • Alternative mRNA splicing is a significant contributor to cancer.
  • Targeting splicing regulatory networks presents a promising therapeutic avenue for cancer treatment.
  • Further research into cancer-specific splicing events can lead to novel treatment strategies.
Keywords:
alternative mRNA splicingcancertargeted therapies

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