Mouse as a Preclinical Model for Studying Small Noncoding RNAs Involved in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer and occupies the second position in death among other cancer deaths in both sexes due to unmet screening programs and therapeutic strategies. Small noncoding RNAs such as microRNA (miRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), silencing RNA (siRNA), small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), and tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) play a critical role in colorectal carcinogenesis, and few of these sncRNAs could be used as a diagnostic, prognostic, predictive, and therapeutic biomarker of CRC. Among these sncRNAs, miRNA is extensively studied in CRC in vitro and in vivo experiment. To accurately elucidate the role of these different sncRNAs in CRC, the mouse model plays a spearheaded role among other animal models. Generally, immunocompromised mice are used to generate different xenograft mice models like cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Genetically engineered mouse models are widely used to create knock-in and knockout transgenic mice for studying oncogene and tumor suppressor genes involved in CRC. Now, Cre-LoxP system and cluster regularly interspaced palindromic sequence (CRISPR)-based genome editing technology have revolutionized the field of mouse cancer models and have had a more immediate impact on the development of more effective systems about different human cancers. In the future, various types of mouse models could be constructed by using this xenograft and genome editing technology which is more suitable and can throw more light on discovering the role of small RNA as a biomarker of CRC.KeywordsSmall noncoding RNA and their typesSmall RNA associated with CRCChemical induced mouse modelsPeritoneum modelsCDX mouse modelPDX mouse modelsTransgenic mouse models, issues, and future perspective