tRF-20-S998LO9D inhibits endometrial carcinoma by upregulating SESN2

Aim: To explore the roles of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) in endometrial carcinoma (EC). Materials & methods: tsRNA profiles for EC from TCGA were analyzed. The functions and mechanisms of tsRNA were explored using in vitro experiments. Results: 173 dysregulated tsRNAs were identified. After validating in EC tissues and serumal exosome samples from EC patients, a downregulated tsRNA in both EC tissues and serumal exosomes (i.e., tRF-20-S998LO9D) was observed. Exosomal tRF-20-S998LO9D had an area under the curve of 0.768. tRF-20-S998LO9D overexpression inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion and promoted apoptosis of EC cells and tRF-20-S998LO9D knockdown further confirmed its effects. Further analyses showed that tRF-20-S998LO9D upregulated SESN2 in protein levels. Conclusion: tRF-20-S998LO9D inhibits EC cells by upregulating SESN2.