Jiaxi Li#, Deepak Iyer#, Siming Sui, Zheng Huang, Ryan Wai-Yan Sin, Abraham Tak-Ka Man, Wai-Lun Law, Chi-Chung Foo*, Lui Ng*
Oncology Research, Vol.34, No.4, 2026, DOI:10.32604/or.2026.074981
- 23 March 2026
Abstract Objectives: Piwi-associated RNAs are small non-coding RNAs implicated in cancer, yet few have been characterized in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to identify a CRC-related piRNA and investigate its clinical relevance, biological function, and biomarker potential. Methods: Candidates were identified by reanalysis of small-RNA sequencing. piR-37524 was quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in colorectal cancer tissues, matched adjacent non-tumor tissues, colorectal adenomas, liver metastases, and serum samples from patients and healthy controls. Clinicopathological correlations and diagnostic performance were evaluated. Functional assays included 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) proliferation, colony formation, and wound-healing migration… More >