Ex-translational function of tRNAs and their fragments in cancer

Abstract

Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules are most commonly known as the molecular amino acids carriers and also because of the role they play in a protein biosynthesis process. However, tRNA biology has revealed stupendous levels of many unexpected discoveries that put a new light on tRNA function in different processes besides translation, like apoptosis or cancer development. In recent years various species of RNAs have been found differentially expressed in different types of cancer. In this review we focus our attention on tRNAs as well as on tRNA-derived small RNAs ex-translational functions in human cells in oncogenesis and oncobiology.