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Updated: Sep 17, 2025
10:06
Engineering Artificial Factors to Specifically Manipulate Alternative Splicing in Human Cells
Published on: April 26, 2017
9.1K
Best evidence linking the extracellular factor TGF-β to cancer-associated alternative splicing programs
Opeoluwa Alli-Oke1, Jean-Philippe Brosseau1,2,3
1Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomic, Sherbrooke, QC, J1E4K8, Canada.
BBA Advances
|June 30, 2025
Summary
Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β) may regulate cancer-associated alternative splicing. This extracellular factor influences cell phenotypes, potentially driving splicing programs critical for cancer progression.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Biology
- RNA Biology
Background:
- Alternative splicing generates diverse RNA transcripts from a single gene.
- Splicing factors, RNA-binding proteins, control splicing decisions.
- Regulation of splicing factors and alternative splicing by extracellular factors is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of extracellular factors in regulating alternative splicing.
- To explore the potential of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β) in driving cancer-associated alternative splicing programs.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on splicing factors and TGF-β.
- Analysis of known examples linking alternative splicing variants or splicing factors to cancer hallmarks.
- Correlation of TGF-β's known cellular effects with alternative splicing regulation.
Main Results:
- TGF-β is a known regulator of multiple cancer-associated cell phenotypes.
- Alternative splicing variants and their regulatory factors are implicated in cancer hallmarks.
- Evidence suggests a link between TGF-β signaling and cancer-associated alternative splicing.
Conclusions:
- TGF-β signaling may play a significant role in orchestrating alternative splicing programs in cancer.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms by which TGF-β influences alternative splicing in cancer.
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