The binding dynamics between RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and RNA motifs determine the post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and subsequently protein production and cell physiology. The emerging characterization and comprehension of the direct interactions between RBP domains and RNA consensus sequences are expanding our repertoire of druggable therapeutic targets to treat cancer. Concomitantly, high-throughput technologies which measure and challenge these interactions are generating tangible implications for medicinal chemistry, and our description of the mechanisms of action of several bioactive small molecules. Paradigmatic case studies focusing on the competitive activity of specific RBPs, such as HuR, LIN28, or Musashi, have revealed that novel leading small molecules can be identified. These compounds can then interfere with the binding to a subset of intracellular RNAs that influence the tumor cell viability, proliferation, migration, response to stress, or the cross-talk with immune cells.
Several RNA-binding domains have been characterized for their preferred or flexible affinity towards a specific RNA consensus. The fate of recognized coding or non-coding RNAs depends on the competition between different RBPs that can “read the multiple codes” carried by single RNA substrates. This Research Topic focuses on describing RNA recognition motifs and their function with RBPs, including the characterization of RNA-binding sites, nucleobase modifications, docking and molecular dynamics, drug screening campaigns, pre-clinical and clinical investigations of identified drug molecules. The resulting articles will represent the most advanced collection of experimentally-validated RNA landscapes at the motif-specific resolution, thus opening new correlations and predictions on specific RNA-bearing sequences, and the pleiotropic activity of small molecules in cancer research.
The scope of this Research Topic is to include original research articles, reviews, and commentaries/opinion letters providing the scientific community with the following themes:
- Descriptions and biochemical characterization of novel RBP-RNA interactions relevant in cancer research
- Descriptions and biochemical characterization of novel RNA-binding sites, including docking and molecular dynamic studies in physiological and/or disease context
- Descriptions and biochemical characterization of nucleobase modifications and interactions with RNA-binding domains in physiological and/or disease context
- Application of high-throughput screening platforms to identify interferers of RBP-RNA interactions
- Transcriptomic and/or proteomic analysis deciphering RBP-RNA interactions in physiological and/or disease context
- Post-transcriptional control of RNA motifs in cancer cells at intracellular and secretome levels
- Pre-clinical investigations of drugs identified as interferers of RBP-RNA interactions in cancer models
- Oncology investigations on drugs identified as interferers of RBP-RNA interactions
Important Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.
The binding dynamics between RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and RNA motifs determine the post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and subsequently protein production and cell physiology. The emerging characterization and comprehension of the direct interactions between RBP domains and RNA consensus sequences are expanding our repertoire of druggable therapeutic targets to treat cancer. Concomitantly, high-throughput technologies which measure and challenge these interactions are generating tangible implications for medicinal chemistry, and our description of the mechanisms of action of several bioactive small molecules. Paradigmatic case studies focusing on the competitive activity of specific RBPs, such as HuR, LIN28, or Musashi, have revealed that novel leading small molecules can be identified. These compounds can then interfere with the binding to a subset of intracellular RNAs that influence the tumor cell viability, proliferation, migration, response to stress, or the cross-talk with immune cells.
Several RNA-binding domains have been characterized for their preferred or flexible affinity towards a specific RNA consensus. The fate of recognized coding or non-coding RNAs depends on the competition between different RBPs that can “read the multiple codes” carried by single RNA substrates. This Research Topic focuses on describing RNA recognition motifs and their function with RBPs, including the characterization of RNA-binding sites, nucleobase modifications, docking and molecular dynamics, drug screening campaigns, pre-clinical and clinical investigations of identified drug molecules. The resulting articles will represent the most advanced collection of experimentally-validated RNA landscapes at the motif-specific resolution, thus opening new correlations and predictions on specific RNA-bearing sequences, and the pleiotropic activity of small molecules in cancer research.
The scope of this Research Topic is to include original research articles, reviews, and commentaries/opinion letters providing the scientific community with the following themes:
- Descriptions and biochemical characterization of novel RBP-RNA interactions relevant in cancer research
- Descriptions and biochemical characterization of novel RNA-binding sites, including docking and molecular dynamic studies in physiological and/or disease context
- Descriptions and biochemical characterization of nucleobase modifications and interactions with RNA-binding domains in physiological and/or disease context
- Application of high-throughput screening platforms to identify interferers of RBP-RNA interactions
- Transcriptomic and/or proteomic analysis deciphering RBP-RNA interactions in physiological and/or disease context
- Post-transcriptional control of RNA motifs in cancer cells at intracellular and secretome levels
- Pre-clinical investigations of drugs identified as interferers of RBP-RNA interactions in cancer models
- Oncology investigations on drugs identified as interferers of RBP-RNA interactions
Important Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.
