Title:Novel Perspectives for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Gynecological
Cancers using Dysregulation of PIWI Protein and PiRNAs as
Biomarkers
Volume: 31
Issue: 4
Author(s): Bahman Yousefi, Fatemeh Sadoughi*, Zatollah Asemi, Mohammad Ali Mansournia and Jamal Hallajzadeh*
Affiliation:
- Research Center
for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of
Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R. Iran
- Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition,
Research Center for Evidence-Based Health Management, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences,
Maragheh, Iran
Keywords:
PIWI protein, piRNA, PIWIL2, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, anti-cancer drug.
Abstract: The term “gynecological cancer” is used for a group of cancers occurring in
the female reproductive system. Some of these cancers are ranked as the leading causes
of death in developed and developing countries. The lack of proper diagnostic strategies
is one of the most important reasons that make them lethal. PIWI-interacting RNAs or
piRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs, which contain 24-32 nucleotides. These
RNAs take part in some cellular mechanisms, and their role in diverse kinds of cancer is
confirmed by accumulative evidence. In this review, we gather some information on the
roles of these RNAs and members of the PIWI protein family to provide new insight into
accurate diagnostic biomarkers and more effective anti-cancer drugs with fewer side effects.