Fig. 8

Elevation of scaRNA2 predicts poor response to radiotherapy in rectal cancer. A Tumour tissues from 80 rectal cancer patients were surgically resected, and radiosensitivity was classified based on the TRG score. TRG0, radiosensitive group, TRG3, radioresistant group. Scale bar: 5 μm. B-C Quantification of scaRNA2-positive cells and positive cell density in each section of tumours from the radiosensitive group and radioresistant group. ****P < 0.0001 between the two groups. D Immunofluorescence staining of ATR (red) and scaRNA2 FISH (green) were performed on the same slide to visualize the colocalization of ATR and scaRNA2. Scale bar: 5 μm. E–F The colocalized ATR- and scaRNA2-positive cells and the positive cell density were quantified in the radiosensitive group and radioresistant group. ****P < 0.0001 between the two groups. G Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of clinical patients from the microarray of rectal cancer patients. ***P < 0.001. H A proposed possible mechanistic model of how scaRNA2 regulates DNA damage repair and cancer resistance by facilitating DNA end resection