Doha: Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), recently published papers in two prestigious scientific journals identifying research findings on gene regulation in human cancers and a novel tumour classification method that may lead to tailored treatment for triple negative breast cancer.
One of the most astonishing findings of recent genomic research is that only 2% of the human genome encodes functional proteins, an essential component of the work done by living cells. The function of the remaining, vast majority of the genome — so-called “dark matter” or “junk DNA” — remains to be unravelled. This data is puzzling, given that approximately 75% of the genome can be active in one cell at any time.
“The emerging findings have revealed the transcription (or copying) of the vast majority of our DNA to RNA, without it being translated into functional proteins (called non-coding RNAs). However, having worked in the area of non-coding RNAs for more than 15 years, we now know more than ever about their regulatory role in different cell functions and their importance in driving the formation of tumours (tumourigenesis),” explained Dr. Nehad Alajez, Senior Scientist at QBRI’s Translational Cancer and Immunity Center (TCIC).
In a paper published in the prestigious Seminars in Cancer Biology by Elsevier, Dr. Alajez and his team highlight the crucial role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating the genome through their interactions with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). The paper covers various aspects of the interplay between lncRNAs and RBPs in the context of human cancers.
In breast cancer, a major problem accounting for the majority of cancer-related deaths in women, is the heterogeneous nature of the disease. While the classification of breast cancer into three types, HR-positive, HER2 positive, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), has helped provide tailored treatment for patients in each subtype, tumour heterogeneity (variations of cancer cell types within the same tumour) and the differences in how patients respond to therapy remain a major clinical challenge.
Thinking differently is the key to success, according to Dr. Alajez, who brings strong expertise in transcriptome analysis, non-coding RNAs, and biomarker discovery to QBRI’s TCIC in their current focus on translational oncology and precision medicine research.
