Competing endogenous RNA network in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma by genetic microarray

摘要

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a blood malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells, which increases the number of monoclonal immunoglobulins in blood and urine and causes target organ damage. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to have high genetic heterogeneity and to participate in malignancy formation, progression, and metastasis in MM.[1] Furthermore, lncRNAs and circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, by indirectly binding miRNAs and influencing the post-transcriptional regulation of target gene expression. This phenomenon is known as the competing endogenous (ceRNA) relationship, and it may be one of the most important lncRNA mechanisms in cancers. However, the only lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) was reported to function as a ceRNA to regulate homeobox gene A11 mRNA expression by sponging miR-181a in MM.[2–3] Therefore, other ceRNA relationships, especially in newly diagnosed MM patients, remain to be investigated.