CMU-Q Researchers Discover Novel Mechanism To Suppress Tumors in Breast Cancer
Kara Nesimiuk
- Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, CMU-Q
- Email karan@qatar.cmu.edu
- Phone +974-454-8494
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) have discovered a genetic molecule that could provide new approaches to treating certain types of breast cancer. CMU-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.
The discovery is the result of a multi-year collaborative effort led by Ihab Younis, teaching professor of biological sciences at CMU-Q. The paper is co-authored by CMU-Q graduates who began the research while in their undergraduate studies: Boshra Al-Sulaiti, Mariam Elesnawy, Hana Hasna and Aisha Fakhroo, as well as Rim Elghandour, who contributed to the research as a research associate on Younis's Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) grant.
The findings, published in the Cell Press journal, iScience, center around a newly identified long non-coding RNA molecule the team has called PINC (PTEN Intronic Non-Coding RNA). The research reveals that PINC functions independently as a tumor suppressor, reducing the growth of endocrine-responsive breast cancer cells.
The project began as a computational screening to compare minor introns between breast cancer and non-breast cancer cells. Minor introns are segments of genetic code that account for 0.4% of human introns, and their function is less understood than other parts of the gene. While studying the tumor suppressor gene PTEN, the team determined that when the intron is prevented from splicing normally, it generates the PINC molecule.
Though the PTEN gene has been studied globally for decades, this specific mechanism had not been previously identified.
"Carnegie Mellon's research mission is to address real-world issues that will impact people and societies,” said Michael Trick, dean of CMU-Q. “The Qatar campus has an additional goal to engage our undergraduate students in research as a teaching tool.
"This is an achievement on both fronts: for years, Dr. Younis guided his students through this complex set of questions. Together they discovered a mechanism that could impact how doctors treat certain types of breast cancer. It is truly extraordinary work.”
Younis has been a faculty member at CMU-Q since 2016, and today leads the Biological Sciences program as area head.
"I treat undergraduate researchers like graduate students," Younis said."They take true ownership of the science. Most of these graduates are now pursuing careers in research, and I am so proud that we published this paper and they can see the tangible results of their exceptional hard work."
Younis is now working on a new phase of the project, studying PINC levels in cells to evaluate potential therapeutic applications, and expanding the project to evaluate three other target genes identified during the initial screening.
Research is part of the fabric of Carnegie Mellon, and the Qatar campus encourages all undergraduates to participate in faculty-led or student-initiated projects. The Biological Sciences program emphasizes laboratory and research skills, and most graduates pursue careers in research and health sciences.
