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Exploring transposable elements: new horizons in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics
Ahlam Chaaban1, Reem Sleem1, Jana Santina1
1Department of Biological Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University (LAU), Beirut, Lebanon.
Mobile DNA
|July 11, 2025
Summary
Transposable elements (TEs) drive cancer development and are now recognized as valuable diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in oncology. These "jumping genes" offer new avenues for early cancer detection and innovative treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Transposable elements (TEs), repetitive DNA sequences comprising half the human genome, were once termed "junk DNA."
- TEs' ability to move and integrate into new genomic locations causes instability, chromosomal alterations, and transcriptional dysregulation, hallmarks of cancer.
- The role of TEs in tumorigenesis is increasingly recognized, with their products serving as potential cancer biomarkers and therapeutic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the dual role of transposable elements (TEs) in cancer.
- To highlight TEs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic tools in oncology.
- To explore innovative transposon-based systems for cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on transposable elements and cancer.
- Analysis of TE-derived products (antigens, transcripts, epigenetic modifications) as cancer biomarkers.
- Examination of transposon-based systems (e.g., Sleeping Beauty, PiggyBac) for cancer therapy.
Main Results:
- TEs contribute to genomic instability and transcriptional dysregulation, key features of cancer.
- TE-derived products, such as hypomethylation, are promising biomarkers for early cancer detection and prognosis.
- Transposon-based systems offer precise genomic modification capabilities for novel cancer therapies.
Conclusions:
- Transposable elements play a significant role in cancer development.
- TEs hold substantial promise as diagnostic biomarkers for early disease detection and prognosis.
- Innovative therapeutic strategies utilizing TEs are emerging for improved cancer treatment outcomes.
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