Modulation of Long Non–Coding RNAs by Tocotrienol–rich fraction in Triple–Negative Human Breast Cancer Cells

Triple–negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most lethal breast cancer subtype with a higher metastasis and recurrence rate. Conventional chemotherapy remains the standard treatment but there is a lack of targeted therapies. In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence indicating that long non–coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can regulate gene expression and play an important role in tumour progression. Tocotrienols (T3) are natural vitamin E derivatives that have been reported to have potent anticancer activities in various cancers including breast cancer.  However, T3’s mechanism of action has yet to be fully characterised and to date, it is not known if the molecular mechanism(s) through which T3 exerts its anticancer activities involve lncRNAs. My project aims to determine if tocotrienols modulate the expression of lncRNAs in human TNBC cells in hope that it will contribute to the development of better therapeutics for this aggressive cancer.