Background: Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are involved in gene expression regulation. Although functional roles of eRNAs in the pathophysiology of neoplasms have been reported, their involvement in gastric cancer (GC) is less known. Materials & methods: A network-based integrative approach was utilized for analyzing transcriptome and epigenome alterations in GC, and an eRNA was selected for experimental validation. Survival analysis and clinicopathological associations were also performed. Results: A hub eRNA, ENSR00000272060, showed significantly increased expression in tumor versus nontumor tissues, as well as an association with clinicopathological features. A seven-gene prognostic model was also constructed. Conclusion: The constructed network provides a comprehensive understanding of the underlying processes implicated in the progression of GC, along with a starting point from which to derive potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers.
Keywords: biomarkers; enhancer RNA; epigenomics; stomach neoplasms; systems biology.
What is this summary about? We provide an overview of a study on genetic materials related to stomach cancer. This study could help identify factors that change the progress of this disease. We used genetic information from a specific disease database. One of the genetic materials that was assessed is eRNA. It was examined in some samples of gastric cancer. We analyzed gastric tissues to confirm our findings. The goal of this study was to find out whether we could identify a disease-related eRNA. What were the results? We found an eRNA that showed genetic differences between examined samples. It was also related to the stage of the disease. What do the results mean? The results show that there is a difference in the amount of examined eRNA between samples. It suggests that we may be able to use it to detect the disease earlier.