HuR is an RNA-binding protein that post-transcriptionally modulates the expression of various target genes involved in carcinogenesis, such as CCNA2, which encodes cyclin A.
Upregulated genes in chemoresistant tumors included cell cycle regulating genes (TOP2A, BCAT1, CDCA8, CCNA2, CENPE), and genes with previously known mechanisms in tumorigenesis (S100A9, APOA1, RNF125, IFI16).
The modification of cyclin A expression in a human liver cancer by the insertion of hepatitis B viral DNA into the cyclin A gene, and binding of cyclin A to the oncogenic E1A viral protein in adenovirus-infected cells suggest that the cyclin is implicated in human carcinogenesis.