Exploring the clinical application and biological function of novel tsRNA tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a globally prevalent and highly fatal malignancy.
• The role of tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs, in HCC pathogenesis remains largely unexplored.
• This research focuses on elucidating the function of a novel tsRNA, tsRNA-Asp-5-0002, in HCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression and functional role of tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
• To assess tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 as a potential diagnostic biomarker for HCC.
• To explore the therapeutic potential of tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 in HCC treatment.

Main Methods:

• Screening of novel tsRNAs using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.
• Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to validate tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 expression in HCC patients, benign liver lesions, and healthy controls.
• In vitro transfection with tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 mimics and bioinformatics analysis to predict regulatory pathways.

Main Results:

• tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 was found to be significantly down-regulated in HCC tissues compared to other digestive system tumors.
• qRT-PCR confirmed the down-regulation of tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 in HCC, demonstrating high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.
• Low tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 expression correlated with advanced TNM stage, poor differentiation, and lymph node metastasis (LNM), with ROC curve analysis supporting its diagnostic utility.
• Overexpression of tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 suppressed HCC cell proliferation and migration, mediated through the PLCB1/Wnt signaling axis.

Conclusions:

• tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 serves as a valuable auxiliary biomarker for HCC diagnosis.
• The inhibitory effect of tsRNA-Asp-5-0002 on HCC progression suggests its potential as a novel therapeutic target for adjuvant treatment strategies.