Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025
07:23
Dual CRISPR-Interference Strategy for Targeting Synthetic Lethal Interactions Between Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer Cells
Published on: May 30, 2025
315
Emerging role of RNA modification and long noncoding RNA interaction in cancer
Liqiong Yang1,2,3, Lu Tang1,2,3, Qi Min1,2,3
1Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
Cancer Gene Therapy
|February 13, 2024
Summary
Epigenetic RNA modifications, including N6-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, and N7-methylguanosine, are crucial in cancer progression by regulating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Understanding these interactions offers new therapeutic strategies for cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- RNA modifications, specifically N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), and N7-methylguanosine (m7G) methylation, are increasingly recognized for their roles in cancer.
- Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators in cancer, exhibiting either tumor-suppressive or oncogenic functions.
- Dysregulation of lncRNAs is implicated in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of m6A, m5C, and m7G modifications within lncRNAs.
- To explore the intricate relationship between RNA epigenetic modifications and lncRNA functions in cancer.
- To discuss how these interactions influence cancer progression across various cancer types.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on RNA modifications and lncRNAs in cancer.
- Analysis of studies detailing the mechanisms of m6A, m5C, and m7G modifications in lncRNAs.
- Examination of the functional consequences of these modifications on lncRNA roles in oncogenesis and metastasis.
Main Results:
- lncRNAs are targets of m6A, m5C, and m7G modifications, which impact their stability, localization, and interactions.
- These RNA modifications can alter the tumor-suppressive or oncogenic functions of lncRNAs.
- The interplay between RNA modifications and lncRNAs is a significant driver of cancer progression in diverse malignancies.
Conclusions:
- RNA epigenetic modifications play a critical role in regulating lncRNA function and, consequently, cancer development.
- Targeting RNA modifications and their interactions with lncRNAs presents a promising avenue for novel cancer therapies.
- This review provides a comprehensive overview, highlighting potential new directions for cancer research and treatment.
Related Concept Videos
02:39lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
8.6K
In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...
8.6K
01:20Types of RNA
5.8K
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in regulating gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA Performs Diverse...
RNA Performs Diverse...
5.8K
01:22MicroRNAs
3.0K
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...
3.0K
01:53RNA Stability
33.5K
Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...
33.5K
01:23RNA Interference
26.0K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
26.0K
01:32RNA Splicing
56.4K
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...
56.4K