Hidden diversity from transposable element RNAs in cancer.

Li et al. define TEtrans, transposable element–initiated and spliced RNA transcripts, and find a widespread tumor-enriched repertoire linked to cancer outcomes in population-scale transcriptomes.

• Why it matters: Tumor biology may involve RNA activity beyond host gene expression, but the extent and clinical relevance of transposable element–derived transcripts remain unclear.
• What they did: They introduce TEtrans and mine population-scale transcriptome databases to identify TEtrans that initiate and splice between transposable elements independently of host genes.
• The result: They uncover TEtrans associated with cancer outcomes, including both protein-coding and non-coding TEtrans, suggesting these RNAs may be broadly relevant to tumors.

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