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2011 RFA Links and Provocative Questions  


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How do changes in RNA processing contribute to tumor development?

Background: Recent exome and genome sequencing has described the appearance of a large number of unexpected tumor-specific alternative splicing and other changes in RNA processing events. Presumably some of the selected splicing events are beneficial for tumor development, but the functional significance of these events remains poorly understood. Other changes in RNA processing may alter protein levels or lead to changes in regulatory RNA molecules.

Feasibility: The discovery of these new alternative-splicing and other RNA processing events opens the way to study the roles of new protein products. These studies can proceed along standard lines of examination. Testing the function of these new protein products should be possible in standard cell and animal models. Other changes in RNA processing may lead to changes in levels of translation or regulation of RNA molecules.

Implications of success: True tumor-specific splicing events may provide new functional understanding of the drivers of tumor development. They may also provide novel cancer-specific markers of new proteins or protein domains for diagnostic and therapeutic target development.








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