SUMMARY The discovery of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has dramatically altered our understanding of cancer. Here, we describe a comprehensive analysis of lncRNA alterations at transcriptional, genomic, and epigenetic levels in 5,037 human tumor specimens across 13 cancer types from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Our results suggest that the expression and dysregulation of lncRNAs are highly cancer-type specific compared to protein-coding genes. Using the integrative data generated by this analysis, we present a clinically guided small interfering RNA screening strategy and a co-expression analysis approach to identify cancer driver lncRNAs and predict their functions. This provides a resource for investigating lncRNAs in cancer and lays the groundwork for the development of new diagnostics and treatments.

Summary In a genome-wide survey on somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in 2,394 tumor specimens from 12 cancer types, we found that about 21.8% of lncRNA genes were located in regions with focal SCNAs. By integrating bioinformatics analyses of lncRNA SCNAs and expression with functional screening assays, we identified an oncogene, Focally Amplified lncRNA on Chromosome 1 (FAL1), whose copy number and expression are correlated with outcomes in ovarian cancer. FAL1 associates with the epigenetic repressor BMI1 and regulates its stability in order to modulate the transcription of a number of genes including CDKN1A. The oncogenic activity of FAL1 is partially attributable to its repression of p21. FAL1-specific siRNAs significantly inhibit tumor growth in vivo.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are transcripts that are larger than 200 nucleotides but do not appear to have protein-coding potential, play critical roles during tumorigenesis by functioning as scaffolds to regulate protein-protein, protein-DNA or protein-RNA interactions. Using a clinically guided genetic screening approach, we identified (lncRNA in Non-homologous end joining [NHEJ] pathway 1) as a lncRNA that is overexpressed in human triple-negative breast cancer. We found that LINP1 enhances double-strand DNA break repair by serving as a scaffold that links Ku80 and DNA-PKcs, thereby coordinating the NHEJ pathway. Importantly, blocking LINP1, which is regulated by the p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, increases sensitivity of tumor cell response to radiotherapy in breast cancer.

Strategies to enhance response to poly(adenosine diphosphate–ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) in primary and acquired homologous recombination (HR)–proficient tumors would be a major advance in cancer care. We used a drug synergy screen that combined a PARPi, olaparib, with 20 well-characterized epigenetic drugs and identified bromodomain and extraterminal domain inhibitors (BETis; JQ1, I-BET762, and OTX015) as drugs that acted synergistically with olaparib in HR-proficient cancer cells. Functional assays demonstrated that repressed BET activity reduces HR and thus enhances PARPi-induced DNA damage in cancer cells. We also found that inhibition or depletion of BET proteins impairs transcription of BRCA1 and RAD51, two genes essential for HR. Moreover, BETi treatment sensitized tumors to PARP inhibition in preclinical animal models of HR-proficient breast and ovarian cancers. Finally, we showed that the BRD4 gene was focally amplified across 20 types of common cancers. Combination with BETi could greatly expand the utility of PARP inhibition to patients with HR-proficient cancer.