Effects of lncRNA HOTAIR on proliferation and apoptosis of myeloma cells through NF-κB pathway

tRNA-derived fragments as novel potential biomarkers for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

Background

tRNA-derived fragments have been reported to be key regulatory factors in human tumors. However, their roles in the progression of multiple myeloma remain unknown.

Results

This study employed RNA-sequencing to explore the expression profiles of tRFs/tiRNAs in new diagnosed MM and relapsed/refractory MM samples. The expression of selected tRFs/tiRNAs were further validated in clinical specimens and myeloma cell lines by qPCR. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to predict their roles in multiple myeloma progression.We identified 10 upregulated tRFs/tiRNAs and 16 downregulated tRFs/tiRNAs. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis were performed to analyse the functions of 1 significantly up-regulated and 1 significantly down-regulated tRNA-derived fragments. tRFs/tiRNAs may be involved in MM progression and drug-resistance.

Conclusion

tRFs/tiRNAs were dysregulated and could be potential biomarkers for relapsed/refractory MM.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-021-04167-8.

The Role of lncRNAs in the Pathobiology and Clinical Behavior of Multiple Myeloma

Simple Summary

Multiple myeloma (MM), the second most common hematological neoplasm, is still considered an incurable disease. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), genes that do not encode proteins, participate in numerous biological processes, but their deregulation, like that of coding genes, can contribute to carcinogenesis. Increasing evidence points to the relevant role of lncRNAs in the development of human tumors, such that they emerge as attractive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment, including MM. Here we review the oncogenic or tumor-suppressor functions of lncRNAs in MM and provide an overview of novel therapeutic approaches based on lncRNAs that will help to improve the management of these patients.

Abstract

MM is a hematological neoplasm that is still considered an incurable disease. Besides established genetic alterations, recent studies have shown that MM pathogenesis is also characterized by epigenetic aberrations, such as the gain of de novo active chromatin marks in promoter and enhancer regions and extensive DNA hypomethylation of intergenic regions, highlighting the relevance of these non-coding genomic regions. A recent study described how long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) correspond to 82% of the MM transcriptome and an increasing number of studies have demonstrated the importance of deregulation of lncRNAs in MM. In this review we focus on the deregulated lncRNAs in MM, including their biological or functional mechanisms, their role as biomarkers to improve the prognosis and monitoring of MM patients, and their participation in drug resistance. Furthermore, we also discuss the evidence supporting the role of lncRNAs as therapeutic targets through different novel RNA-based strategies.