title: Alternative RNA splicing and cancer.
abstract: Alternative splicing of pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) is a fundamental mechanism by which a gene can give rise to multiple distinct mRNA transcripts, yielding protein isoforms with different, even opposing, functions. With the recognition that alternative splicing occurs in nearly all human genes, its relationship with cancer-associated pathways has emerged as a rapidly growing field. In this review, we summarize recent findings that have implicated the critical role of alternative splicing in cancer and discuss current understandings of the mechanisms underlying dysregulated alternative splicing in cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Sali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chonghui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012322:RNA Precursors