Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40949873›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in genetics2025

Identification of oncofetal PIWI-interacting RNAs as potential prognostic biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer.

Michelle E Pewarchuk, Vanessa G P Souza, David E Cohn, Nikita Telkar, Greg L Stewart, Katya H Bénard, Patricia P Reis, Victor D Martinez, Wendy P Robinson, Wan L Lam

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in genetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Michelle E PewarchukBritish Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Vanessa G P SouzaBritish Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
David E CohnBritish Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Nikita TelkarBritish Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Greg L StewartBritish Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Katya H BénardBritish Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Patricia P ReisDepartment of Surgery and Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
Victor D MartinezDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Wendy P RobinsonDepartment of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Wan L LamBritish Columbia Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for the majority of these cases. Despite advancements in targeted therapies, early detection remains a significant challenge, highlighting the need for novel biomarkers. This study investigates the role of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in lung cancer, specifically focusing on their potential as oncofetal biomarkers in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), the two most common histological subtypes of NSCLC. We hypothesize that piRNAs exhibit oncofetal expression patterns and may contribute to lung cancer development. Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified distinct piRNA profiles in non-neoplastic, malignant, and fetal lung tissues. Among these, 37 piRNAs in LUAD and 46 piRNAs in LUSC displayed oncofetal expression, meaning they were present in tumor tissues but absent in adjacent normal lung tissue. These oncofetal piRNAs showed significant prognostic value in both LUAD and LUSC cohorts, with a specific signature of eight oncofetal piRNAs predicting high-risk patients in LUAD. We validated the robustness of this signature in a separate in-house cohort, which underscores its potential as a prognostic biomarker. Our findings suggest that oncofetal piRNAs could offer new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities, particularly for early detection.

Indexed as

lung adenocarcinomalung cancerlung squamous cell carcinomanon-coding RNAsoncofetal biomarkersPIWI-interacting RNAs

Identifiers

PMID40949873
PMCPMC12425789

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.