Thymopoietin pseudogene 2 (TMPOP2)

Thymopoietin pseudogene 2 (TMPOP2), also known as lncRNA-EBIC or EZH2-binding lncRNA in cervical cancer, is a functional long noncoding RNA derived from a thymopoietin pseudogene. TMPOP2 is highly expressed in cervical cancer, functions as an oncogenic lncRNA, and forms a positive regulatory loop with human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 oncoproteins by sponging tumor-suppressive microRNAs (miR-375 and miR-139), thereby facilitating oncogene expression and cervical cancer cell proliferation. TMPOP2 is further implicated in promoting cancer cell motility and invasion through recruitment of the epigenetic silencer EZH2 to the E-cadherin (CDH1) promoter, leading to suppression of E-cadherin—a critical epithelial marker and tumor suppressor. Loss of TMPOP2 expression results in inhibited proliferation, G1/S cell cycle arrest, and upregulation of cell cycle inhibitors (such as p21) in cancer models. While there are no current drugs known to target TMPOP2 directly, its functional profile suggests it is a promising diagnostic marker and putative therapeutic target, especially in HPV-related cancers[3][4].

Other names

lncRNA-EBICEZH2-binding lncRNA in cervical cancerTMPOP2 (functional)thymopoietin pseudogene 2 (functional)lncRNA TMPOP2

Epigenetic regulation via recruitment of EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) to suppress E-cadherin (CDH1) transcription; Acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to modulate miRNA activity, thereby derepressing oncogenic pathways (including HPV E6/E7 expression).