RNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) are abundant and promising drug targets. G-rich RNA forms G4s, while GC-rich sequences form stem-loops, and their structural balance is key to RNA function. Dicer processes stem-loop structures in precursor microRNAs (pre-miRs), but G4s can interfere with this, affecting miR maturation.

We identified a G4 in pre-miR-3196 and modulated it using the RNA G4 destabilizer PhpC to restore normal levels in lung cancer cells. Confocal imaging confirmed G4 formation in human cancer cells, and PhpC altered miR-3196 biogenesis. This reveals a therapeutic potential to control miR-3196 via G4 modulation - PAPER