tRNA-derived fragments: Key determinants of cancer metastasis with emerging therapeutic and diagnostic potentials

• Published in: Archives of biochemistry and biophysics Vol. 753; p. 109930
• Main Authors: Salehi, Mohammad, Kamali, Mohammad Javad, Rajabzadeh, Aliakbar, Minoo, Shima, Mosharafi, Hamidreza, Saeedi, Fatemeh, Daraei, Abdolreza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Biomarker; Cancer; Diagnosis; Metastasis; microRNA; tRNA-derived fragment; microRNA; Biomarker; Metastasis; Diagnosis; tRNA-derived fragment; Cancer
• ISSN: 0003-9861; 1096-0384; 1096-0384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2024.109930

Metastasis is a significant clinical challenge responsible for cancer mortality and non-response to treatment. However, the molecular mechanisms driving metastasis remain unclear, limiting the development of efficient diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Recent breakthroughs in cancer biology have discovered a group of small non-coding RNAs called tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), which play a critical role in the metastatic behavior of various tumors. tRFs are produced from cleavage modifications of tRNAs and have different functional classes based on the pattern of these modifications. They perform post-transcriptional regulation through microRNA-like functions, displacing RNA-binding proteins, and play a role in translational regulation by inducing ribosome synthesis, translation initiation, and epigenetic regulation. Tumor cells manipulate tRFs to develop and survive the tumor mass, primarily by inducing metastasis. Multiple studies have demonstrated the potential of tRFs as therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic targets for tumor metastasis. This review discusses the production and function of tRFs in cells, their aberrant molecular contributions to the metastatic environment, and their potential as promising targets for anti-metastasis treatment strategies. [Display omitted] •tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) participate in the regulation of mRNA stability, epigenetic processes, and translation.•Tumor cells manipulate the expression pattern of specific tRFs to induce metastatic phenotype.•tRFs hold promise as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the management of metastasis.