Competing endogenous RNA networks in human cancer: hypothesis, validation, and perspectives

Oncotarget. 2016 Mar 22;7(12):13479-90. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.7266.

Authors

Chao Yang¹, Di Wu², Lin Gao³, Xi Liu⁴, Yinji Jin¹, Dong Wang⁵, Tianzhen Wang¹, Xiaobo Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
³ Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
⁴ Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Hohhot, China.
⁵ College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.

Abstract

Non-coding RNAs represent a majority of the human transcriptome. However, less is known about the functions and regulatory mechanisms of most non-coding species. Moreover, little is known about the potential non-coding functions of coding RNAs. The competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) hypothesis is proposed recently. This hypothesis describes potential communication networks among all transcript RNA species mediated by miRNAs and miRNA-recognizing elements (MREs) within RNA transcripts. Here we review the evolution of the ceRNA hypothesis, summarize the validation experiments and discusses the significance and perspectives of this hypothesis in human cancer.

Keywords: cancer; competing endogenous RNA; lncRNA; miRNAs; pseudogene.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
Gene Regulatory Networks*
Humans
Neoplasms / genetics*
RNA, Untranslated / genetics*

Substances

RNA, Untranslated