Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine/Department of Fetal Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis/BioResource Research Center, Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Department of Gynecology, Oncology Research Office, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Histol Histopathol. 2021 Aug;36(8):807-816. doi: 10.14670/HH-18-323. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are mainly expressed in mammalian germ cells, playing an important role in maintaining germ line DNA integrity, inhibiting transposon transcription and translation, participating in heterochromatin formation, epigenetic regulation, and germ cell genesis. They combine with P-element induced wimpy testis (PIWI) proteins to form effector complexes known as piRNA-induced silencing complexes (pi-RISC) to regulate the gene silencing pathway. Recent evidence suggests that numerous piRNAs, with tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing functions in cancer development, are dysregulated in tumor tissues, and are related to clinical prognosis. In the present review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on the function and regulatory mechanisms of piRNAs in the tumorigenesis and progression of cancer, providing evidence for the potential use of piRNAs in the diagnosis and clinical treatment of cancer.
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) 主要在哺乳动物生殖细胞中表达，在维持生殖系 DNA 完整性、抑制转座子转录和翻译、参与异染色质形成、表观遗传调控和生殖细胞发生等方面发挥重要作用。它们与 P 元素诱导的软弱睾丸（PIWI）蛋白结合，形成效应复合物，称为 piRNA 诱导的沉默复合物（pi-RISC），以调节基因沉默途径。最近的证据表明，在癌症发展过程中具有促进肿瘤和抑制肿瘤功能的大量 piRNAs 在肿瘤组织中失调，并与临床预后相关。在本综述中，我们总结了 piRNAs 在肿瘤发生和进展中的功能和调节机制的最新知识，为 piRNAs 在癌症的诊断和临床治疗中的潜在应用提供了依据。
