Induction of Invasive Basal Phenotype in Triple-Negative Breast Cancers by Long Noncoding RNA BORG.
Farshad Niazi1, Kimberly A Parker2, Sara J Mason1
1Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Cancers
|September 28, 2024
Summary
This study identifies the human BORG long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and finds its elevated expression in breast tumors is linked to aggressive cancer pathways, particularly in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). BORG drives the aggressive basal TNBC phenotype.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in breast cancer progression.
- Limited mechanistic studies exist for lncRNA function in large breast cancer cohorts, considering subtype variability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and annotate the human BORG lncRNA gene.
- To investigate the role and variability of BORG expression in human breast cancers.
- To elucidate the functional association of BORG with aggressive cancer phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of BORG expression across multiple human breast tumor cohorts.
- Correlation of BORG levels with cancer aggression pathways, including basal and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) phenotypes.
- In vitro and in vivo murine models to assess BORG-induced gene expression in TNBC.
Main Results:
- BORG is significantly induced in breast tumors compared to normal tissue, with variable induction across subtypes.
- Elevated BORG expression correlates with cancer aggression pathways like pluripotency and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
- Genes induced by BORG in TNBC models overlap with those in human TNBC tumors, indicating conserved function.
Conclusions:
- Human BORG is identified as a novel lncRNA.
- BORG expression is associated with aggressive breast cancer phenotypes, especially in TNBC.
- BORG functions as a driver of the aggressive basal TNBC phenotype.
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