RNA splicing alterations in lung cancer pathogenesis and therapy

RNA-binding proteins and autophagy in lung cancer: mechanistic insights and therapeutic perspectives

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Its progression is intricately associated with the dynamic regulation of autophagy and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which play crucial roles in mRNA stability, alternative splicing, and cellular stress responses.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to systematically analyze the mechanisms through which RBPs and autophagy contribute to lung cancer progression and explore potential therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways.

METHODS

We reviewed recent studies on the molecular mechanisms by which RBPs regulate tumor proliferation, metabolic adaptation, and their interaction with autophagy. The review also examines the dual roles of autophagy in lung cancer, highlighting its context-dependent effects on cell survival and death.

RESULTS

The interactions and regulatory networks between RBPs and autophagy involve multiple levels of regulation. RBPs can directly influence autophagy processes and act as microRNA (miRNA) sponges to regulate mRNA stability. The modulation of RBPs affects the expression of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) and autophagosome formation. Additionally, RBPs participate in complex regulatory interactions with non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and other proteins.

CONCLUSIONS

This review proposes innovative therapeutic strategies that combine RBP-targeting approaches (e.g., small molecule inhibitors, CRISPR gene editing) with autophagy modulators (e.g., mTOR inhibitors, chloroquine) to enhance treatment efficacy. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems and epigenetic regulation offer further opportunities for targeted interventions. This review lays a theoretical foundation for advancing lung cancer research and provides novel insights into synergistic therapies that target both RBPs and autophagy to improve treatment outcomes for lung cancer.

LINC00894, YEATS2-AS1, and SUGP2 genes as novel biomarkers for N0 status of lung adenocarcinoma

Research on genes affecting tumors without lymph node metastasis is limited, hence this study employed both bioinformatic and experimental approaches to identify specific genes associated with lung cancer adenocarcinoma (LUAD) before lymph node metastasis occurs. Expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs and LUAD clinical data were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) using R software to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with N0 and N + status. TargetScan, miRTarBase, and miRDB databases were used to identify interactions between miRNAs and mRNAs. The DIANA database and lncBase tool were used to find the association between lncRNA and miRNA. After selecting some genes, the expression of candidate genes was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR technique. Following the knockdown LINC00894 gene using the shRNA technique, its effect on invasion, migration, and apoptosis in the calu-3 cell line was investigated. In total, we found 321 specific DEGs not only in N0 vs. normal but also in N0 Vs. N + in LUAD, most of which were lncRNA and we identified a ceRNA network containing nine lncRNAs with the highest degree of connectivity. Among them, in addition to bioinformatic analyses, LINC00894 and YEATS2-AS1 were significantly increased in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues (P = 0.0001). also, SUGP2 that was shared in both lncRNA-related ceRNA subnetworks was significantly upregulated (P = 0.0001). Additionally, following the knockdown of LINC00894 in Calu-3 cell line, a significant decrease in migration and invasion was observed, but early apoptosis was significantly increased in the shLINC00894(48 h) group (P = 0.007). The findings of the present study show that lncRNAs play an important role in the N0 status of LUAD. Moreover, LINC00894, YEATS2-AS1, and SUGP2 can act as biomarkers in patients with N0 LUAD.

[Targeting the spliceosome: A new therapeutic strategy to counteract chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer?]

Lung cancer is the first cancer-related cause of death worldwide. This is in partially due to therapeutic resistance, which occurs in around 70% of patients, especially those receiving platinum salts, the gold-standard chemotherapy. The massive deregulation of alternative transcript splicing processes observed in many cancers has led to the development of a new class of pharmacological agents aimed at inhibiting the activity of the splicing machinery (spliceosome). The molecular mechanisms by which these inhibitors act remain largely unknown, as do the benefits of using them in combination with other therapies. In this context, our work is focused on an inhibitor of the SRPK1 kinase, a major regulator of the spliceosome.