The Emerging Function and Mechanism of ceRNAs in Cancer

Abstract

Complex diseases, such as cancer, are often associated with aberrant gene expression at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Over the past several years, competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) have emerged as an important class of post-transcriptional regulators that alter gene expression through a miRNA-mediated mechanism. Recent studies in both solid tumors and hematopoietic malignancies showed that ceRNAs have significant roles in cancer pathogenesis by altering the expression of key tumorigenic or tumor-suppressive genes. Characterizing the identity, function, and mechanism of the ceRNAs will not only further our fundamental understanding of RNA-mediated cancer pathogenesis, but may also shed light on the development of new RNA-based therapeutic strategies for treating cancer.

Figure 1 (Key Figure)

Different types of ceRNAs including circRNA, lncRNA, pseudogene and protein-coding mRNA may regulate a target mRNA expression by competing for miRNAs binding.

Figure 2

Computationally predicted and experimentally validated competing activities between members in the PTEN ceRNA network are shown. The ceRNAs directly competing with PTEN are shown in purple.