tRNA and its Activation Targets as Biomarkers and Regulators of Breast Cancer
Abstract
Breast cancer refers to a variety of types, each of which derives from distinct causes and merits different treatments. It is crucial to develop new classes of molecules that target heretofore unexplored cellular mechanisms so that tumors not responsive to current treatments might be responsive to new routes of therapy. We are exploring a previously underappreciated avenue that can lead to precise identification of breast cancer subtypes to improve treatment options and identify new therapeutic targets. The genetic code is decoded by transfer RNA (tRNA). We discovered that breast tumors have high levels of tRNA and that tRNA overexpression has an aberrant pattern, suggesting that tumors use tRNA overexpression to misregulate the synthesis of some crucial proteins. Further, we found that a specific tRNA is an oncogene in breast cells, suggesting that tRNA overexpression could even originate the development of breast cancer. We are identifying the misregulation targets of tRNA overexpression in breast cancer to serve as biomarkers and establishing the potential of targeting tRNA as a new route for breast cancer treatment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA553756
Entities
People
- Donghui Zhou
- Mariana P. Eternod
- Marsha Rosner
- Susanna Gomes
- Tao Pan
Organizations
- University of Chicago