Poster Presentation 46th Lorne Genome Conference 2025

Identification of ethnic diversity in the landscape of mutated lncRNAs in prostate cancer (#247)

Korawich Uthayopas 1 , Vanessa Hayes 1 2 3
  1. Ancestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
  2. School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
  3. Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4GJ, UK

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, characterised by diverse clinical behaviours and extensive heterogeneity [1]. Genetic ancestry is one of key factors contributing to prostate cancer disparity, leading to significantly higher mortality rates among patients of African ancestry [2]. A deeper understanding of the genetic diversity in prostate cancer across ancestries is essential for advancing precision oncology and reducing global health inequities [3].

 

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators in cancer progression, representing promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets [4]. This study implemented a robust bioinformatics pipeline to investigate the landscape of lncRNA mutations in a geographically and ethnically diverse cohort of prostate cancer patients. Whole-genome sequencing data from 562 tumour samples were analysed, including individuals of African (n = 413), European (n = 108), Asian (n = 25), and admixed (n = 16) ancestries.

 

Our analysis identified more than 50 potential driver lncRNAs, supported by experimental evidence from public databases such as lnc2Cancer [5] and lncRNADisease [6]. Significant ancestry-specific variation in oncogenic driver alterations was observed, highlighting the contribution of lncRNAs to ethnic disparities in prostate cancer outcomes. These findings suggest the critical importance of including underrepresented populations in cancer genomic studies, particularly in studies of non-coding regions, to advance precision oncology and development of novel therapeutic interventions.

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  6. Lin, X., Lu, Y., Zhang, C., Cui, Q., Tang, Y. D., Ji, X., & Cui, C. (2024). LncRNADisease v3.0: an updated database of long non-coding RNA-associated diseases. Nucleic acids research, 52(D1), D1365–D1369.