RNA therapy for lung cancer
A research team led by Chandrasekhar Kanduri from the Salgrenska Academy (Gothenburg, Sweden) studied the behavior of the tumor depending on the activity of non-coding long RNA molecules. They are produced from the part of the genome that was previously considered "junk DNA". But, as it turned out, they regulate the process of cell division and perform a number of other functions.
The study examined 16 types of cancer (6419 solid tumors) and normal tissues from 701 samples that were used as a control. The goal was to find long non-coding RNA molecules active during the phase of cell division in which genetic material is copied.
Using their own technologies and modern sequencing methods, the researchers identified 570 long non-coding RNA molecules, the expression of which differed depending on the type of cancer. In addition, 633 new independent biomarkers were found that can be used to diagnose and treat 14 types of cancer.
There is a strong connection between the cycle of cell division and tumor development. It was used to identify long non-coding RNA molecules that play a key role in cancer progression. Some of these molecules cause cells to divide uncontrollably, turning them into malignant.
In experiments on mouse models of human lung cancer, antisense oligonucleotides (lock nucleic acid modified antisense oligonucleotides, LNA-ASO) were injected twice a week for 15 days, which led to blocking the function of the corresponding long non-coding RNA molecules. As a result, the size of the tumors was reduced by almost half.
Thus, a new method for determining long non-coding RNA molecules that are involved in uncontrolled cell division has been developed and optimized. Targeted blocking of these molecules reduces tumor growth by 40-50%. In addition, these RNA molecules are suitable as a biomarker for predicting the course and outcome of cancer.
According to the authors of the study, RNA therapy can be used, among other things, for the treatment of lung cancer, the five-year survival rate for which currently does not exceed 18%. It is necessary to study the proposed potential treatment method in more depth in order to make sure that clinical trials are appropriate.
Article by M. M. Ali et al. PAN-cancer analysis of S-phase enriched lncRNAs identifies oncogenic drivers and biomarkers is published in the journal Nature Communications.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Gothenburg: RNA-based therapy cures lung cancer in mouse models.