TOB1 antisense RNA 1 (TOB1-AS1)

TOB1 antisense RNA 1 (TOB1-AS1) is a long non-coding RNA situated in a head-to-head orientation with the TOB1 gene. It does not encode a protein but is involved in regulating gene expression at the epigenetic and post-transcriptional levels. TOB1-AS1 is frequently downregulated in several cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, gastric cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and cervical cancer, often through promoter hypermethylation. Experimental data suggest it acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, partly through ceRNA networks that interact with microRNAs (e.g., miR-27b, miR-23a). In immune-related diseases such as multiple sclerosis, TOB1-AS1 may help maintain immune tolerance, and its dysregulation is associated with disease severity. Current evidence does not support TOB1-AS1 as a direct drug target or receptor, and there are no drugs known to directly interact with it, but it is considered a candidate biomarker for cancer prognosis and disease progression.

Other names

TOB1 antisense RNA 1 (non-protein coding)TOB1-AS1

Acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that modulates expression of gene targets via miRNA sequestration. Also involved in epigenetic regulation (downregulation via promoter methylation).