Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences representing a substantial fraction of most genomes. Through the creation of new genes and functions, TEs are important elements of genome plasticity and evolution. However TE insertion in human genomes may be the cause of genetic dysfunction and alteration of gene expression contributing to cancer and other human diseases. Besides the chromosome rearrangements induced by TE repeats, this mini-review shows how gene expression may be altered following TE insertion, for example by the creation of new polyadenylation sites, by the creation of new exons (exonization), by exon skipping and by other modification of alternative splicing, and also by the alteration of regulatory sequences. Through the correlation between TE mobility and the methylation status of DNA, the importance of chromatin regulation is evident in several diseases. Finally this overview ends with a brief presentation of the use of TEs as biotechnology tools for insertional mutagenesis screening and gene therapy with DNA transposons.
Keywords: Alternative splicing, gene expression, gene therapy, human disease, promoter, recombination, retrotransposon, transposon.
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title:Transposable Elements in Cancer and Other Human Diseases
Volume: 15 Issue: 3
Author(s): Benoit Chenais
Affiliation:
Keywords: Alternative splicing, gene expression, gene therapy, human disease, promoter, recombination, retrotransposon, transposon.
Abstract: Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences representing a substantial fraction of most genomes. Through the creation of new genes and functions, TEs are important elements of genome plasticity and evolution. However TE insertion in human genomes may be the cause of genetic dysfunction and alteration of gene expression contributing to cancer and other human diseases. Besides the chromosome rearrangements induced by TE repeats, this mini-review shows how gene expression may be altered following TE insertion, for example by the creation of new polyadenylation sites, by the creation of new exons (exonization), by exon skipping and by other modification of alternative splicing, and also by the alteration of regulatory sequences. Through the correlation between TE mobility and the methylation status of DNA, the importance of chromatin regulation is evident in several diseases. Finally this overview ends with a brief presentation of the use of TEs as biotechnology tools for insertional mutagenesis screening and gene therapy with DNA transposons.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Chenais Benoit, Transposable Elements in Cancer and Other Human Diseases, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2015; 15 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009615666150317122506
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009615666150317122506 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Chemistry and Pharmacology of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
Current Pharmaceutical Design Cancer Therapeutics-Related Cardiovascular Complications. Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Treatment
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Impact of Methodology and Confounding Variables on the Association Between Major Depression and Coronary Heart Disease: Review and Recommendations
Current Psychiatry Reviews Green Tea Catechins and Cardiovascular Health: An Update
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Changing Landscape of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels in Neurovascular Disorders and in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Current Neuropharmacology Mechanical Circulatory Support for End-Stage Heart Failure in Repaired and Palliated Congenital Heart Disease
Current Cardiology Reviews Homocysteine, Cardiovascular Inflammation, and Myocardial Remodeling
Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders-Drug Targets Current and Promising Therapies in Autosomal Recessive Ataxias
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Proteomic Analysis of Endothelin-1 Targets in the Regulation of Cardiomyocyte Proliferation
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Can Lipoprotein-associated Phospholipase A<sub>2</sub> be Used as a Predictor of Long-term Outcome in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome?
Current Cardiology Reviews Autophagy: For Better or for Worse, in Good Times or in Bad Times …
Current Molecular Medicine Targeting the Fatty Acid Transport Proteins (FATP) to Understand the Mechanisms Linking Fatty Acid Transport to Metabolism
Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Discontinued) Genetic Determinants of Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Post-Bronchiolitis Wheeze: A Systematic Review
Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews Making the Most of Pathological Specimens: Molecular Diagnosis in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin Embedded Tissue
Current Drug Targets High-Density Lipoprotein at the Interface of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus And Cardiovascular Disorders
Current Pharmaceutical Design Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins in cardiac disease and protection
Current Drug Targets Supertargeted Chemistry: Identifying Relationships Between Molecular Structures and their Sub-Cellular Distribution
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Cyclosporin and Organ Specific Toxicity: Clinical Aspects, Pharmacogenetics and Perspectives
Current Clinical Pharmacology New Chemotherapeutic Strategies Against Malaria, Leishmaniasis and Trypanosomiases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn: Physiology, Hemodynamic Assessment and Novel Therapies
Current Pediatric Reviews