The press office of the Russian National Research University reported that scientists have discovered that different structural forms of microRNA molecules not only inhibit different genes.
According to the university's press office, researchers have discovered that different structural forms of microRNA molecules not only suppress different genes, as previously thought, but can also enhance each other's effects on the same DNA regions. This finding helps explain the important role of one of these molecules in the development of prostate cancer.
"The microRNA molecule known as miR-93-5p has been shown to have unique properties, as its conventional form and alternative variations enhance each other's effects, leading to the inhibition of the same genes. This may explain its ongoing role in the development of prostate cancer, and suggests the possibility of its use as a biomarker for disease progression."
Researchers have been studying for years how human and animal cells interact with microRNA molecules, which are short chains ranging in length from 20 to 25 nucleotides, that play an important role in regulating the activity of a large number of genes by binding to ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules and preventing their translation within the cell.
Some of these molecules play a key role in suppressing tumors or stimulating their growth, prompting scientists to study their mechanisms of action in healthy and cancerous cells, as well as to research ways to control their activity.
It was previously believed that the structural polymorphism of a single microRNA molecule allowed it to control several different genes, but experiments conducted by Russian researchers on prostate cancer cells showed that the miR-93-5p molecule, despite its different forms, affects a similar set of about 50 genes.
The results showed that these different forms enhance the effect of each other, leading to highly efficient inhibition of the activity of these genes, which explains the association of increased activity of this molecule with accelerated growth of prostate cancer and some other tumors.
Scientists suspect that other microRNA molecules associated with malignant tumors may function in a similar way.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) estimates that prostate cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, with approximately 1.46 million men diagnosed annually, causing nearly 397,000 deaths, and often affecting older men.
