Circular RNA MALAT1 as a potential target for antimetastatic therapy

Abstract

Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) located in the nucleus that is involved in the regulation of gene expression and alternative splicing of gene transcription products. MALAT1 has also been implicated in processes leading to metastasis in various types of cancer. On the other hand, during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of cancer cells, which allows the invasion and migration of cancer cells outside the primary tumor, increases in the levels of the Quaking RNA-binding protein (QKI) were found, which also led to the formation of circular RNA molecules (circRNA), including MALAT1-derived circRNAs. It was also found that at least some MALAT1-derived circRNAs could support processes leading to the spread of cancer cells outside the primary tumor. Due to the unique back-splicing junction in a given circRNA, it is possible to therapeutically target specific circRNA molecules in cancer cells while protecting linear RNAs in normal cells. Without questioning the aberrant involvement of lncRNA MALAT1 in promoting cancer cell migration and invasion, it appears that MALAT1-derived circRNAs, especially the circRNA known as circ-MALAT1 or circ2082 (hsa_circ_0002082), among other circRNAs, may be considered for further study as potential targets for anti-metastatic therapy.