Roles of alternative splicing in the pathogenesis of lung cancer

Alternative splicing contributes to the vast complexity of mRNA transcripts and protein isoforms. It has been estimated that the majority of protein-coding genes are subject to alternative splicing in humans. Alternative splicing plays a critical role in physiological processes and cell development programs, and dysregulation of alternative splicing is often associated with pathologic conditions such as cancer. Indeed, the abnormal splicing is frequently found in lung cancer, which produces various protein isoforms with properties that may have different functions and therefore even diverse effects on tumor malignant development. In this highlight, we summarize the evidence supporting the functional role of alternative splicing in lung cancer, discuss the regulation of alternative splicing, and highlight the relevance of splicing variation on lung cancer therapy.