Researchers from the University of Warsaw and the University of Ferrara conducted a study which in the future may significantly affect human’s health and improve the processes of treatment and prevention of the disease. The results of the research were published in the journal Non-Coding RNA.

Dr Stefano Volinia from the UW Biological and Chemical Research Centre and Dr Jeff Palatini from the UW Centre of New Technologies studied together with the researchers from the University of Ferrara the effect of drugs on circular RNAs and relationship with the cognate linear transcript (linRNA).

Focusing on breast cancer, the researchers tested various anticancer agents in two cell lines that comprise a panel of drug-modulated circRNAs/linRNAs. According to the oncogenic or anticancer role, the scientists observed the upregulation of circRNA and downregulation of linRNA within the same gene in association with specific mutated pathways, such as PI3K/AKT in MCF-7 or the NHEJ DNA repair pathway in the TP53-mutated MDA-MB-231 cell.

The researchers indicate that only XL765 did not alter tumorigenic circ/linRNAs in MCF-7, and AMG511 and GSK1070916 decreased circGFRA1, as drug effectiveness in MDA-MB-231 cells.

The discovery may in the future significantly affect human’s health and improve the processes of treatment and prevention of the disease.

The results of the study were presented in the article “Inverse Impact of Cancer Drugs on Circular and Linear RNAs in Breast Cancer Cell Lines”, published in the journal Non-Coding RNA.

More information can be found on the UW Biological and Chemical Research Centre’s website >>