Alternative Splicing: Role in Cancer Development and Progression

Claudio Sette,Michael Ladomery,Claudia Ghigna

doi:10.1155/2013/421606

Abstract

Alternative Splicing: Role in Cancer Development and Progression

Highlights

The advent of high-throughput sequencing techniques has recently revealed that alternative splicing of exons and introns represents a major source of proteomic diversity in complex organisms characterized by a limited number of protein-coding genes
The extreme flexibility of its regulation, which relies on the combinatorial action of multiple non stringent factors, is subject to errors and the aberrant splicing of key genes can result in the onset of many human genetic and sporadic diseases. In this regard, mounting evidence illustrates how changes in alternative splicing patterns of specific genes is an important tool used by cancer cells to produce protein isoforms involved in all areas of cancer cell biology, including numerous aspects of tumor establishment, progression, and resistance to therapeutic treatments
The main focus of this special issue is to emphasize key mechanisms involved in oncogenic splicing changes, their connection with other steps of gene expression, and the therapeutic potential of cancer-associated alternative splicing isoforms

Summary

Introduction

In this regard, mounting evidence illustrates how changes in alternative splicing patterns of specific genes is an important tool used by cancer cells to produce protein isoforms involved in all areas of cancer cell biology, including numerous aspects of tumor establishment, progression, and resistance to therapeutic treatments. The main focus of this special issue is to emphasize key mechanisms involved in oncogenic splicing changes, their connection with other steps of gene expression, and the therapeutic potential of cancer-associated alternative splicing isoforms.

Results

Conclusion