Differential Alternative RNA Splicing and Transcription Events Between Tumors from African American and White Patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas

Overview

Journal Genomics

Specialty Genetics

Date 2021 Mar 11

PMID 33705884

Citations 7

Authors

Muthana Al Abo

Terry Hyslop

Xiaodi Qin

Kouros Owzar

Daniel J George

Steven R Patierno

Jennifer A Freedman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Individuals of African ancestry suffer disproportionally from higher incidence, aggressiveness, and mortality for particular cancers. This disparity likely results from an interplay among differences in multiple determinants of health, including differences in tumor biology. We used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) SpliceSeq and TCGA aggregate expression datasets and identified differential alternative RNA splicing and transcription events (ARS/T) in cancers between self-identified African American (AA) and White (W) patients. We found that retained intron events were enriched among race-related ARS/T. In addition, on average, 12% of the most highly ranked race-related ARS/T overlapped between any two analyzed cancers. Moreover, the genes undergoing race-related ARS/T functioned in cancer-promoting pathways, and a number of race-related ARS/T were associated with patient survival. We built a web-application, CanSplice, to mine genomic datasets by self-identified race. The race-related targets have the potential to aid in the development of new biomarkers and therapeutics to mitigate cancer disparity.

Citing Articles

Genetic ancestry concordant RNA splicing in prostate cancer involves oncogenic genes and associates with recurrence.

Al Abo M, Foo W, Howard L, McGue S, Lacroix B, Kephart J NPJ Precis Oncol. 2025; 9(1):30.

PMID: 39880920 PMC: 11779911. DOI: 10.1038/s41698-025-00817-9.

Global profiling of alternative splicing in non-small cell lung cancer reveals novel histological and population differences.

Zeeshan S, Dalal B, Arauz R, Zingone A, Harris C, Khiabanian H Oncogene. 2025; .

PMID: 39789165 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03267-y.

Alternative splicing in prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance.

Rawat C, Heemers H Oncogene. 2024; 43(22):1655-1668.

PMID: 38658776 PMC: 11136669. DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03036-x.

Identification of alternative splicing associated with clinical features: from pan-cancers to genitourinary tumors.

Duan C, Zhang Y, Li L, Liu K, Yao X, Wu X Front Oncol. 2023; 13:1249932.

PMID: 37810965 PMC: 10557043. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1249932.

Landmark Series: The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Study of Breast Cancer Disparities.

Johnson J, Moore B, Syrnioti G, Eden C, Wright D, Newman L Ann Surg Oncol. 2023; 30(11):6427-6440.

PMID: 37587359 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-13866-w.

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