AUTHOR=Zhang Jingcheng , Zhang Wentao , Liu Yuchao , Pi Man , Jiang Yufeng , Ainiwaer Ailiyaer , Mao Shiyu , Chen Haotian , Ran Yuefei , Sun Shuwen , Li Wei , Yao Xudong , Chang Zhengyan , Yan Yang TITLE=Emerging roles and potential application of PIWI-interacting RNA in urological tumors JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.1054216 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2022.1054216 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=

The piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) is P-Element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA which is a small molecule, non-coding RNA with a length of 24-32nt. It was originally found in germ cells and is considered a regulator of germ cell function. It can interact with PIWI protein, a member of the Argonaute family, and play a role in the regulation of gene transcription and epigenetic silencing of transposable factors in the nucleus. More and more studies have shown that piRNAs are abnormally expressed in a variety of cancer tissues and patient fluids, and may become diagnostic tools, therapeutic targets, staging markers, and prognostic evaluation tools for cancer. This article reviews the recent research on piRNA and summarizes the structural characteristics, production mechanism, applications, and its role in urological tumors, to provide a reference value for piRNA to regulate urological tumors.