Hidden proteins in 'non-coding' RNA may offer new clues to cancer progression
Scientists have long believed that large stretches of our genetic material, known as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), help regulate genes but do not produce proteins. A new study by Stav Zok and Professor Michal Linial from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggests that this picture is incomplete.
Scientists have discovered hundreds of tiny proteins, or micropeptides, encoded by non-coding RNAs called long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). These micropeptides, previously overlooked, appear to play a role in cancer progression, according to a study by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, provides a comprehensive catalog of these micropeptides associated with different stages of cancer development.
By analyzing cancer genomics data from nearly 10,000 tumor samples and using AI-based structural modeling, researchers identified 1,782 high-confidence micropeptides encoded by 478 lncRNAs. Among these, 314 were linked to significant changes as cancers advance through various stages. The researchers emphasize that these micropeptides represent a largely unexplored layer of cancer biology, potentially offering new insights into tumor development and progression.
Further laboratory studies are needed to determine the biological roles of these micropeptides, but the findings provide a valuable resource for future research and may lead to the identification of biomarkers for disease progression and immune cell recruitment at tumor sites.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
