Thesis
LncRNA FAM99A has tumor-suppressor activity in hepatocytes
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Aug 2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001201
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 90% of primary liver cancer, which is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In its early stages, the majority of HCC patients present as asymptomatic. As a result, patients are often diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease and are usually ineligible for most treatment options. Additionally, late-stage therapy is mostly ineffective. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of HCC could help improve treatment options and patient outcomes. Emerging evidence indicates that dysregulated expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in the development of several cancers, in which they typically serve as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. LncRNAs are characterized as RNA transcripts greater than 200 nucleotides that are not translated into functional proteins. Recently, numerous aberrantly expressed lncRNAs have been associated with HCC initiation and progression. Through bioinformatics analysis of lncRNAs dysregulated in HCC, lncRNA Family with Sequence Similarity 99 Member A (FAM99A) was identified as a lowly expressed liver-specific lncRNA. In previous studies, downregulation of FAM99A in HCC correlated with tumor recurrence, differentiation, encapsulation, and poor overall prognosis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which FAM99A contributes to HCC pathogenesis remains undetermined. To this end, we aimed to determine the effect of FAM99A overexpression on HCC cells. Using in vitro cell-based assays, we showed that FAM99A overexpression decreased cell viability, proliferation, and colony formation in HepG2 cells. Overall, our results suggest that loss of FAM99A expression contributes to hepatic tumorigenesis.
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Details
- Title
- LncRNA FAM99A has tumor-suppressor activity in hepatocytes
- Creators
- Pritika H. Shahani
- Contributors
- Sonia Navas-Martin (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- ix, 58 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Medicine (Graduate); College of Medicine; Hematology and Oncology; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991018530913604721