Misato family member 2, pseudogene (MSTO2P)

Misato family member 2, pseudogene (MSTO2P) is a human pseudogene encoding a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), lacking protein-coding capability[1][3][7]. MSTO2P is overexpressed in several cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer, where it promotes cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, possibly through regulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and modulation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition[2][4][7]. MSTO2P can act as a molecular sponge for specific microRNAs (e.g., miR-128-3p), thereby exerting post-transcriptional regulation of other genes[4][9]. Though not a therapeutic target itself—since it is a pseudogene and not a receptor, enzyme, or similar molecule—MSTO2P is considered a biomarker for cancer prognosis and may play broader regulatory roles in cancer biology[2][4][7].

Other names

MSTO2

Not a direct therapeutic target; studies indicate it modulates cell phenotypes by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and by regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling[2][9]