Advances in the study of tsRNA as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cancer

Abstract

Transfer RNA (tRNA) promotes the protein translation process by binding with corresponding amino acids and transporting them to the ribosome, emphasizing the vital role of tRNA in protein translation. Transfer RNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA) are fragments originating from tRNA and are produced when these tRNA are cleaved. As the degradation products of tRNA, tsRNA retain significant biological functions, notably in regulating gene expression and modulating translation. Recent researches have highlighted the dual regulatory role of tsRNA in oncology, especially their pronounced variations in the bodily fluids of cancer patients, accentuating the potential of tsRNA as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Upregulation of tsRNA and 5'tiRNA His GTG related to colorectal cancer promotes tumor occurrence and development; Upregulation of 5 '-tiRNA Val generated by angiopoietin cleavage promotes tumor metastasis and growth; Upregulation of tRF-20-MEJB5Y13 promotes the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells. Upregulation of gastric cancer related tsRNA, tRF-19-3L7L73JD, can promote the progression of malignant tumors, while upregulation of tRF-24-V29K9UV3IU, tRF-5026a, and tRF-Val may inhibit tumor proliferation and progression. In terms of clinical application, the expression of plasma 5-tRF-GlyGCC is increased, and the area under the curve for diagnosing colorectal cancer is 0.882. The plasma tRF-5026a is decreased, and the area under the curve for diagnosing colorectal cancer is 0.883. The expression of tRF-27-FDXXE6XRK45, tRF-29-R9J8909NF5JP, and tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD in the serum of gastric cancer patients was significantly increased. The area under the diagnostic curve for gastric cancer was 0.805, 0.889, and 0.783, respectively; The serum tDR ‐ 000620 in triple negative breast cancer decreased, which was related to lymph node metastasis and disease recurrence. In the plasma exosomes of gastric cancer patients, the expression of tRF-38, tRF-25, and tRF-18 is elevated, which can be used for diagnosis and may be a postoperative predictive factor. The expression levels of tRNA ValTAC-3, tRNA GlyTCC-5, tRNA ValAAC-5, and tRNA GluCTC-5 in the plasma exosomes of liver cancer patients have significantly increased, which may be emerging biomarkers.This article reviews the biogenesis, classification, and biological functions of tsRNA, emphasizing the advancements in their application as tumor biomarkers and delineating their roles across various cancer types, offering insights into their utility in oncological research and clinical applications.

Keywords

• |transfer rna-derived small rna|diagnosis|prognosis|tumor biomarker