Study Identifies RNLS Hypomethylation as Marker for Lung Cancer Metastasis
A recent study has identified RNLS hypomethylation as a potential epigenetic marker for lung cancer metastasis. Conducted on 42 lung cancer patients, the research focused on differentially methylated positions (DMPs) in various tissue types, including pulmonary tumor, paratumor, normal tissues, and peripheral blood. The study found 22 significant DMPs, with several mapped to the RNLS promoter region, showing progressive hypomethylation from normal to tumor tissues. This hypomethylation was also observed in the peripheral blood of patients who later developed metastasis. The research highlighted that RNLS methylation was inversely correlated with its expression across multiple tissue types, and these DMPs were enriched in Notch signaling pathways. Functional validation through gene silencing in cancer cells demonstrated that RNLS deficiency reduced cancer cell proliferation, migration, and metastatic burden in mice. 
