Rohit Mehra

About Rohit Mehra

• LncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) are a form of genetic message that do not encode proteins but are highly involved in the expression of other genes.
• PCF-funded researcher, Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan and his team recently described a set of 121 novel lncRNAs implicated in prostate cancer progression. SChLAP1 (Second Chromosome Locus Associated with Prostate-1) was identified as a prostate cancer-specific lncRNA that promotes cell invasion and metastasis in approximately 20% of cases.
• Dr. Mehra proposes to elucidate the associations of SChLAP1 and aggressive prostate cancer.

What this means for patients: These studies will evaluate the association of SChLAP-1 expression with aggressive prostate cancer and should help to stratify patients for risk.