Esophagus epithelial intergenic specific transcript (EPIST)

Esophagus epithelial intergenic specific transcript (EPIST) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) of approximately 600 nucleotides in length, composed of two exons and located on chromosome 5, near the PITX1 gene[1]. It is highly and specifically expressed in normal esophageal epithelial cells and is significantly downregulated during the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)[1][2]. Experimental studies show that EPIST acts as a tumor suppressor: its overexpression inhibits, and its knockdown promotes, cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in ESCC cell lines. EPIST is nuclear-localized, has very low coding potential, and appears to exert its effects partly via regulation of cancer-related gene expression. While it is co-expressed with PITX1, it does not directly regulate PITX1 or vice versa. Instead, EPIST is suggested to affect the expression of genes involved in tumorigenesis such as RASAL1 and TERT, implicating it in signaling pathways relevant to cancer cell growth and metastasis. EPIST is not currently considered a classic drug target (such as a receptor, enzyme, or transporter), nor are there drugs or therapies that specifically modulate its activity. However, its tumor suppressor function and correlation with disease state make it a promising biomarker and candidate for further mechanistic and therapeutic research in ESCC[1][2].

Other names

CTC-276P9.1EpistC5orf66-AS1C5orf66 antisense RNA 1esophagus epithelial intergenic associated transcriptesophagus epithelial intergenic specific transcript