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Kunnummal M, Angelin M, Das AV. PIWI proteins and piRNAs in cervical cancer: a propitious dart in cancer stem cell-targeted therapy. Hum Cell. 2021;34(6):1629-1641doi: 10.1007/s13577-021-00590-4.
Kunnummal, M., Angelin, M., & Das, A. V. (2021). PIWI proteins and piRNAs in cervical cancer: a propitious dart in cancer stem cell-targeted therapy. Human cell, 34(6), 1629-1641. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13577-021-00590-4
Kunnummal, Midhunaraj, et al. "PIWI proteins and piRNAs in cervical cancer: a propitious dart in cancer stem cell-targeted therapy." Human cell vol. 34,6 (2021): 1629-1641. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13577-021-00590-4
Kunnummal M, Angelin M, Das AV. PIWI proteins and piRNAs in cervical cancer: a propitious dart in cancer stem cell-targeted therapy. Hum Cell. 2021 Nov;34(6):1629-1641. doi: 10.1007/s13577-021-00590-4. Epub 2021 Aug 09. PMID: 34374035.
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Hum Cell. 2021 Nov;34(6):1629-1641. doi: 10.1007/s13577-021-00590-4. Epub 2021 Aug 09.

PIWI proteins and piRNAs in cervical cancer: a propitious dart in cancer stem cell-targeted therapy.

Human cell

Midhunaraj Kunnummal, Mary Angelin, Ani V Das

Affiliations

  1. Cancer Research Program-12, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, P.O. 695 014, India.
  2. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Tiger Circle Road, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
  3. Cancer Research Program-12, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, P.O. 695 014, India. [email protected].

PMID: 34374035 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-021-00590-4

Abstract

Any form of cancer is a result of uncontrolled cell growth caused by mutations and/or epigenetic alterations, implying that a balance of chromatin remodeling activities and epigenetic regulators is crucial to prevent the transformation of a normal cell to a cancer cell. Many of the chromatin remodelers do not recognize any specific sites on their targets and require guiding molecules to reach the respective targets. PIWI proteins and their interacting small non-coding RNAs (piRNAs) have proved to act as a guiding signal for such molecules. While epigenetic alterations lead to tumorigenesis, the stemness of cancer cells contributes to recurrence and metastasis of cancer. Various studies have propounded that the PIWI-piRNA complex also promotes stemness of cancer cells, providing new doors for target-mediated anti-cancer therapies. Despite the progress in diagnosis and development of vaccines, cervical cancer remains to be the second most prevalent cancer among women, due to the lack of cost-effective and accessible diagnostic and prevention methods. With the emergence of liquid biopsy, there is a significant demand for the ideal biomarker in the diagnosis of cancer. PIWI and piRNAs have been recommended to serve as prognostic and diagnostic markers, to differentiate early and later stages of cancer, including cervical cancer. This review discusses how PIWIs and piRNAs are involved in disease progression as well as their potential role in diagnostics and therapeutics in cervical cancer.

© 2021. Japan Human Cell Society.

Keywords: CSC-targeted therapy; Cancer stem cells; Cervical cancer; Liquid biopsy; PIWI; piRNA

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