About Noam Chomsky, DNA Motifs, Non-coding RNAs and Cancer Patients
George Calin, Professor and The Alan M. Gewirtz Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Scholar, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
The newly discovered differential expression in numerous tissues, key
cellular processes and multiple diseases for several families of long
and short non-codingRNAs (ncRNAs, RNAs that do not codify for proteins
but for RNAs with regulatory functions), including the already famous
class of microRNAs (miRNAs) strongly suggest that the scientific and
medical communities have significantly underestimated the spectrum of
ncRNAs whose altered expression has significant consequences in
diseases. MicroRNA and other short or long non-codingRNAs alterations
are involved in the initiation, progression and metastases of human
cancer. The main molecular alterations are represented by variations in
gene expression, usually mild and with consequences for a vast number of
target protein coding genes. The causes of the widespread differential
expression of non-codingRNAs in malignant compared with normal cells can
be explained by the location of these genes in cancer-associated
genomic regions, by epigenetic mechanisms and by alterations in the
processing machinery. MicroRNA and other short or long non-codingRNAs
expression profiling of human tumors has identified signatures
associated with diagnosis, staging, progression, prognosis and response
to treatment. In addition, profiling has been exploited to identify
non-codingRNAs that may represent downstream targets of activated
oncogenic pathways or that are targeting protein coding genes involved
in cancer. Recent studies proved that miRNAs and non-coding
ultraconserved genes are main candidates for the elusive class of cancer
predisposing genes and that other types of non-codingRNAs participate
in the genetic puzzle giving rise to the malignant phenotype. Last, but
not least, the shown expression correlations of these new ncRNAs with
cancer metastatic potential and overall survival rates suggest that at
least some member of these novel classes of molecules could potentially
find use as biomarkers or novel therapeutics in cancers and other
diseases.
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