AUTHOR=Jian Zheng , Han Yichao , Li Hecheng 

TITLE=Potential roles of PIWI-interacting RNAs in lung cancer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2022.944403

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2022.944403

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality in the world today. Emerging evidence suggests that PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in various  human cancers, including lung cancer. Despite of the poorly understood mechanism, piRNAs may work as carcinogenic roles or tumor suppressors by engaging in a variety of cancer-associated signaling pathways. Therefore, they might serve as potential therapeutic targets, diagnostic indicators, or prognostic indicators in lung cancer. This review will discuss the new findings of piRNAs, including their biosynthetic processes, mechanisms of gene suppression, and the significance of these piRNAs tested in lung cancer samples to determine their involvement in cancer progression.</p>