Long Non-coding RNAs Including IRF1-AS1, LINC01871, TRG-AS1, and USP30-AS as Tumor Suppressors in Colorectal Cancer: In Silico Analysis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies in the world with a high mortality rate, making screening and early detection of the condition essential. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a significant role in the initiation and advancement of numerous malignancies, including CRC, by taking part in the control of gene and protein expression that affects apoptosis, cell proliferation, and immunological responses. In this study, through bioinformatics methods, we investigated this non-coding group in CRC and the normal group in both early and advanced stages of the disease.

In order to identify the lncRNAs that could have a tumor-suppressing role in CRC, RNA sequencing data from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) were analyzed. Then, the Pearson correlation test was applied between the expression level of candidate lncRNAs and all genes expressed for identifying potential pathway. Genes with the highest correlation were selected and subjected to gene enrichment analysis. Also, the roles of identified lncRNAs were evaluated in terms of biomarkers.

The results of the expression analysis for the TCGA data showed that the expression of the IRF1-AS1, LINC01871, TRG-AS1, and USP30-AS decreased during the progression (stages III and IV compared with stages I and II) of CRC. The enrichment results of all the genes in the co-expression network related to IRF1-AS1, LINC01871, TRG-AS1, and USP30-AS showed that these lncRNAs could play a role in immune response, inflammation, and IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling and apoptosis pathways. Additionally, our findings demonstrated that the aforesaid lncRNAs were significantly lower in CRC samples compared with normal samples based on TCGA data, Also, the expression of some of them may serve as an appropriate biomarker.

The results of this study showed that IRF1-AS1, LINC01871, TRG-AS1, and USP30-AS decreased during the progression of CRC and could play a tumor-suppressing role.