FAU pseudogene 4 (FAUP4)

FAU pseudogene 4 (FAUP4), also referred to as PAARH, is a long non-coding RNA pseudogene located in humans. Recent studies have characterized PAARH as highly expressed in aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma and positively correlated with advanced disease features such as vascular invasion and poor survival. Mechanistically, PAARH promotes HCC tumor growth, cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, partly by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that increases the expression of HOTTIP, and by physically interacting with hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) to activate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling under hypoxic conditions. As a result, PAARH/FAUP4 is considered both a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC, representing a novel member of the growing class of functional lncRNAs in cancer biology.

Other names

PAARH (Progression and Angiogenesis Associated RNA in HCC)CMB9-22P13.1FAU pseudogene 4FAUP4

Drugs or molecules targeting FAUP4/PAARH could theoretically inhibit HCC cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and stemness by: Suppressing PAARH function; Reducing its ceRNA-mediated upregulation of targets (e.g., HOTTIP); Inhibiting its facilitation of HIF-1α binding to the VEGF promoter