Regulatory Mechanisms and Functional Roles of Readthrough Transcripts in Tumorigenesis

The search for novel tumor-specific markers and therapeutic targets is driving the development of more effective and personalized treatment strategies for cancer patients. This article focuses on investigating a promising new source of biomarkers-readthrough transcripts, or downstream-of-gene (DoG) transcripts. These transcripts are extended products of gene transcription that continue into intergenic regions and can overlap neighboring genes, sometimes giving rise to cis-splicing of adjacent gene (cis-SAGe) transcripts. Recent studies suggest that besides frequently being a "transcriptional noise", DoG transcripts can perform regulatory functions, serve as a source of novel protein products, and act as prognostic markers of patient survival across various cancers. This article aims to investigate the regulatory mechanisms and functional significance of readthrough transcripts in tumors, to identify currently known tumor-specific variants with potential utility as cancer biomarkers or therapeutic targets, and to evaluate the most suitable approaches for their detection. The knowledge gained through this research may provide a foundation for the development of diagnostic test systems and the design of new anticancer drugs.