Non-coding RNA in hepatocarcinoma and other liver diseases

Non-coding RNAs are very numerous and poorly studied molecules that serve mainly regulatory functions. The Non-coding RNAs in Hepatocarcinoma and Other Liver Diseases Research Group at Cima has identified long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) required for the growth of hepatocarcinoma and we are evaluating whether this allows us to develop strategies to treat this disease.

Hepatocarcinoma is the most common liver cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in the world. This is due to the fact that in most patients hepatocarcinoma is detected in late stages, in which current treatments only manage to prolong survival by a few months. It is therefore necessary to develop systems that make it possible to detect the existence of hepatocarcinoma in a blood sample, to classify tumors according to their prognosis and to develop personalized treatments that prevent tumor growth and metastasis. All this is possible with the study of lncRNAs.

The team consists of molecular biologists in close contact with clinicians and bioinformaticians. Together, we are studying the tumor transcriptome, with all the coding genes and lncRNAs it expresses.

In addition, using biotechnological techniques we want to design new molecules based on these lncRNAs that may be of interest in gene therapy applications. We have already developed viral vectors that inhibit the expression of target genes by expressing short RNA molecules, such as siRNAs, modified nuclear small RNAs (snRNAs) or both. We are currently developing similar strategies aimed at increasing gene expression or regulating it.