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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Investigation of the Transcriptional Role of a RUNX1 Intronic Silencer by CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells
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Small-nucleolar RNA host gene3 (SNHG3) and leukemia-associated non-coding IGF1R activator RNA 1 (LUNAR1) correlated

Omnia Emam1, Eman F Wasfey2, Mostafa Elnakib3,4

  • 1Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt.

Scientific Reports
|February 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Circulating Notch-associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), SNHG3 and LUNAR1, are elevated in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. These lncRNAs show potential as non-invasive biomarkers for CRC monitoring and risk assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Notch-signaling is involved in tumorigenesis.
  • Notch-associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), SNHG3 and LUNAR1, are upregulated in various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC).
  • The clinical and prognostic value of these circulatory lncRNAs in CRC remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the expression patterns of circulatory SNHG3 and LUNAR1 in CRC patients.
  • To investigate the relevance of these lncRNAs for CRC follow-up and risk stratification.
  • To evaluate their potential as non-invasive biomarkers for CRC.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to measure SNHG3 and LUNAR1 expression levels.
  • Serum samples from 70 Egyptian CRC patients and 26 healthy controls were analyzed.
  • Statistical analyses were performed to compare expression levels and correlate them with clinicopathological features.

Main Results:

  • Serum SNHG3 and LUNAR1 were significantly upregulated in CRC patients compared to controls (p < 0.0001).
  • SNHG3 expression correlated positively with advanced CRC stage, tumor invasion, vascular invasion, and lymph node metastasis.
  • LUNAR1 expression was associated with larger tumor size and deeper invasion. Both lncRNAs demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy than CEA and CA19-9.

Conclusions:

  • Circulatory SNHG3 and LUNAR1 serve as promising non-invasive biomarkers for CRC monitoring.
  • These lncRNAs correlate with adverse clinicopathological features, suggesting their potential as prognostic indicators.
  • SNHG3 and LUNAR1 may represent novel therapeutic targets for CRC, paving the way for ncRNA-based precision medicine.
Keywords:
Colorectal cancerEpigeneticsHallmarks of cancerIn silico/Bioinformatics analysisInflammationLUNAR1NotchPrognosisSNHG3lncRNAs

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