tRNA-derived fragments: Key determinants of cancer metastasis with emerging therapeutic and diagnostic potentials

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research
• RNA Biology

Background:

• Metastasis is a major cause of cancer mortality and treatment failure.
• The molecular mechanisms underlying metastasis are not fully understood.
• tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are emerging as critical regulators of tumor progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the biogenesis and functions of tRFs.
• To elucidate the role of tRFs in promoting cancer metastasis.
• To explore the potential of tRFs as therapeutic and diagnostic targets for metastasis.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on tRFs and cancer metastasis.
• Analysis of tRF production from tRNA modifications.
• Examination of tRFs' regulatory roles in post-transcriptional and translational processes.

Main Results:

• tRFs are generated from tRNA cleavage and exhibit diverse functions.
• Tumor cells exploit tRFs to facilitate metastatic development and survival.
• tRFs influence gene expression through microRNA-like activity and RNA-binding protein displacement.
• tRFs regulate translation initiation, ribosome synthesis, and epigenetic modifications.

Conclusions:

• tRFs are crucial mediators of cancer metastasis.
• Aberrant tRF expression contributes to the metastatic tumor microenvironment.
• tRFs represent promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for combating cancer metastasis.