RNA Binding Proteins in Breast, Colon, and Rectal CancerA Comprehensive Study on Their Influence on Disease Progression and Potential Clinical Applications

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) and Colorectal adenocarcinoma (COREAD) are major health problems worldwide. While significant progress has been made in understanding their molecular subtypes and genetics, a cure remains elusive. An emerging area of interest is the role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in the development and progression of these cancers. RBPs are critical regulators of every hallmark of cancer and could serve as sensitive biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and potential targets. In COREAD, a multidata integration strategy identified putative roles of NOP56, RBM12, NAT10, FKBP1A, EMG1, and CSE1L in the progression of colon cancer (COAD) and rectal cancer (READ). FKBP1A, NOP56, and NAT10 mRNA expression may predict poor prognosis in COREAD and COAD patients. In BC, integrated in silico analyses of human RBPs in major cancer databases revealed five putative BC RBPs (PUF60, TFRC, KPNB1, NSF, and SF3A3) with robust oncogenic features. PUF60 and SF3A3 were identified as central elements of a spliceosome-related cluster involving RBPs and cancer driver genes (CDGs). RBPs hold significant potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets in BC, COAD, and READ. Further research on these RBPs is crucial to unveil their molecular mechanisms, validate their clinical potential, and develop novel treatment strategies.