Human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit pre-mRNA (CGB pre-mRNA)

Human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit (CGB) pre-mRNA is the primary transcript produced from the CGB gene cluster, which includes CGB3, CGB5, CGB7, and CGB8 (NCBI Gene: 1082). This pre-mRNA undergoes splicing to form mature mRNA, which is then translated into the beta subunit of the heterodimeric hormone hCG (UniProt: P01233). In normal physiology, hCG is essential for maintaining the corpus luteum and ensuring progesterone production during the early stages of pregnancy. However, many non-trophoblastic cancers ectopically express CGB, where it acts as an autocrine growth factor that promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis (PubMed: 10433659). Targeting the pre-mRNA specifically allows for the use of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that can bind to intronic or splice-site sequences to induce degradation or modulate splicing. This therapeutic approach aims to prevent the synthesis of the functional hCG protein, thereby disrupting pro-tumorigenic signaling pathways in hCG-secreting malignancies. Monitoring serum hCG levels serves as a critical biomarker for evaluating the efficacy of such RNA-targeted interventions.

Other names

CGB pre-mRNAhCG beta pre-mRNAChoriogonadotropin subunit beta pre-mRNACGB3 pre-mRNA

Antisense-mediated degradation of pre-mRNA via RNase H or splicing modulation to prevent the translation of the functional human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit protein.