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Competing endogenous RNA interplay in cancer: mechanism, methodology, and perspectives

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Tumor Biology

Abstract

Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) refer to RNA transcripts, such as mRNAs, non-coding RNAs, pseudogene transcripts, and circular RNAs, that can regulate each other by competing for the same pool of miRNAs. ceRNAs involve in the pathogenesis of several common cancers such as prostate cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, endometrial cancer, and so on. ceRNA activity is determined by factors such as miRNA/ceRNA abundance, ceRNAs binding affinity to miRNAs, RNA editing, and RNA-binding proteins. The alteration of any of these factors may lead to ceRNA network imbalance and thus contribute to cancer initiation and progression. There are generally three steps in ceRNA research conductions: ceRNA prediction, ceRNA validation, and ceRNA functional investigation. Deciphering ceRNA interplay in cancer provides new insight into cancer pathogenesis and opportunities for therapy exploration. In this review, we try to give readers a concise and reliable illustration on the mechanism, functions, research approaches, and perspective of ceRNA in cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Shiyan Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan City, Hubei Province, China

    Dong-Liang Cheng

  2. Cervical disease clinic, Jiangsu Huai’an Maternity and Children Hospital, Huai’an, China

    Yuan-Yuan Xiang

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, The Second People’s Hospital of Huai’an, Huai’an, China

    Li-juan Ji

  4. Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

    Xiao-Jie Lu

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  1. Dong-Liang Cheng
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  2. Yuan-Yuan Xiang
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  4. Xiao-Jie Lu
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Correspondence to Li-juan Ji or Xiao-Jie Lu.

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Dong-Liang Cheng and Yuan-Yuan Xiang contributed equally and are co-first authors.

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Cheng, DL., Xiang, YY., Ji, Lj. et al. Competing endogenous RNA interplay in cancer: mechanism, methodology, and perspectives. Tumor Biol. 36, 479–488 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-3093-z

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