Post-transcriptional regulation of FGF-2; role of antisense gene expression

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a potent signaling molecule which promotes the growth of many kinds of cells. The expression of FGF is under tight regulatory control, and loss of this regulation can result in stimulation of cancer cell proliferation. The normal regulation of FGF appears to involve a novel "antisense" RNA which has the ability to silence FGF expression by an unknown mechanism. We have found that the expression of the antisense product can suppress FGF levels and inhibit tumor development and recurrence after surgical treatment. The present research is directed toward defining the role of this antisense RNA in the function of both normal and cancerous cells.