lincRNA and Cancer? Beats me!

*Red Numbered footnotes (1) are links that will take you to the sites that were quoted/referred to. They are sited in MLA format below.

Open Itunes. Play your favorite song. Close your eyes and just listen. Soak up every single component the music offers to you. Are the lyrics what makes this song your favorite? The rhythm? The tune? Or is it the melody that sews these notes as a favorite? Without all that, what would be left?
The beats of any given song in music are very much like the long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) that have been pushed aside in the field genetics - necessary for the whole but rarely noticed. The term intergenic refers to a sequence of DNA that do not hold genes but are found between clusters of DNA that do. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) is defined as a RNA molecule that is not translated to proteins. Because of this, until recent studies and researches, scientists have overseen the full potential, importance and function of these non-coding genes. One of these ncRNAs that scientists have classified as "junk" are the lincRNAs. Recent researches contradict this classification as lincRNA's have now been proven to carry out essential functions for organisms such as guiding proteins to their attachment sites on specific RNAs/DNAs , as well as organizing the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells.(1) But even with these functions necessary for life, primitive discoveries a relationship between this particular ncRNA and the causation of cancer due to another one of it's functions of regulating the process of rapid cell growth, or cell profileration.
 Why I refer to this discovery as primitive is because scientists have only recently decided that these lincRNA's are not worthless. Currently studying lincRNA, assistant professor of Stem Cell and Regerative Biology at Harvard University, John L. Rinn stated through his research, the Rinn Lab(2), that any misregulation of lincRNAs can result in tumor. This misregulation of lincRNAs can occur due to factors due to in malfunctions in the organism's status of epigenetics, cell division and cell cycle. How Rinn and his crew sought out to clarify between this fatal disease and this particular non-coding RNA by profiling lincRNAs to different types of cancer in order to specify which lincRNA plays a role in the actual formation and growth of cancer. Why this is such an extreme and crucial contribution to the field of genetics is because retracing cancer back to it's origin may lead to further discoveries of how to cure it and even further, how to prevent it.
Howard Hughes, from the Medical Institute and Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, is also conducting researches/studies between lincRNA's and the progression of cancer. The first point he makes in his publication, Long Intergenic Noncoding RNAs: New Links in Cancer Progression (3), is that the lincRNA's ability to control transcriptional alteration leading to the differences between normal cells and cancerous cells indicate there is a direct link between lincRNAs and cancer progression. Another point Hughes discusses is the fact that several types of lincRNAs have the ability to control gene expressions. It does so with a process called chromatin modification where the lincRNA attaches specific histone-modifying enzymes to chromatin. Chromatin modification is an epigenitc process when disturbed, can lead to uncontrolled cell division that will result into a tumor. Traits of these epigentic changes such as it being long-lasting/stable and being heritable provide the same traits to cancer. For example, cancer is divided into stages that measure the degree of seriousness, the potential harm it can cause to the patient, how far it has spread/size of the cancerous tumor and whether it can be removed. (4) Because the epigentic changes that can lead to the formation of tumors are long-lasting and stable, once the cancer reaches a certain stage, it becomes too late for a cure or method to remove it. It is also a common practice for doctors to ask their patients whether there they have had relatives with cancer during their diagnosis. This is because of the heritable traits of epigentic alterations made during chromatin modification. The chances of these alterations being passed down are still unknown because only 1% of the 3,000+ lincRNA's identified (scientists say there are bound to be more) have been characterized. It is also uncertain which type of lincRNA's have the ability to control gene expression and chromatin modification. And even if scientists did eventually uncover every lincRNA there is to be uncovered, identify each one and come to a conclusion as to which type of lincRNA controls gene expression, the concept of randomness and mutation would still affect the probability of a person getting cancer instead of their two younger siblings because their grandmother had suffered from it. (5)
The new found information of lincRNAs and the relationship it has to cancers is extremely beneficial to not only understand our biological make up and functions, but also for a possible cure for cancer as well. For example, Stephen Baylin from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is trying to nurture the epigentic alterations begin tumors to form using drugs such as azacitidine and entinostat. (6) Baylin and his team combined the two drugs in order to prevent tumor growth on patients who have gone through treatments that showed no signs of success. As a result, 28 of the 62 patients were given the drug combination and other chemotherapies. 8 of those patients responded successfully to the treatment. His conclusion also claims that the epigenetic treatment also stimulated the patients' immune systems to attack tumors. As you can see, scientists are constantly finding new contributions, theories, and information through researches and experiments to uncover the potential change a mere noncodingRNA can bring to human life and the topic of genetics. So next time you tune out the world with your iPOD, make sure you're keeping up with the beat of the music - it could be in sync with the very heartbeat your DNA works for. 


MLA Citations:
1) Saey, Tina Hesman. "Missing Lincs - Science News." Science News. 11 Dec. 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/336570/title/Missing_Lincs>.
2) Rinn Lab 2009. "Large Intergenic Non-Coding RNAs (lincRNAs)." Rinnlab.com. Broad Institute, 2009. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://www.rinnlab.com/research.html>.
3) Hughes, Howard. "Long Intergenic Noncoding RNAs: New Links in Cancer Progression." Cancer Research. American Association for Cancer Research, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/71/1/3.full>.
4) "Staging." American Cancer Society. Cancer.org, 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/UnderstandingYourDiagnosis/staging>.
5) Klitzman, Robert. "Am I My Genes?" Genetics as Rorschachs: Pondering Our Genes and Our Fate. Psychology Today, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/am-i-my-genes/201203/genetics-rorschachs-pondering-our-genes-and-our-fate>.
6) Saey, Tina Hesman. "Old Cancer Drugs Offer New Tricks." Science News. 2 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://www.sciencenews.org/index/generic/activity/view/id/339613/title/Old_cancer_drugs_offer_new_tricks>.