By Pesach Benson • September 28, 2026
Jerusalem, 28 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli scientists have uncovered a hidden layer of cancer biology: hundreds of tiny proteins made from genetic material that was long thought mainly to help regulate genes. The discovery gives researchers a new group of molecules to investigate as they try to understand how cancer develops and changes.
The proteins, known as micropeptides, are associated with different stages of cancer in 17 types of tumours, according to the research team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Some of the micropeptides could eventually help track disease progression, while others may reveal new ways tumours interact with the immune system or point to potential targets for future treatments.
Scientists have known that some long non-coding RNAs, or lncRNAs — segments of genetic material generally thought to regulate genes rather than produce proteins — can encode tiny proteins called micropeptides. What has been less clear is how widespread these molecules are across cancers and whether particular micropeptides are associated with changes in cancer progression.
To investigate, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 10,000 tumours representing 17 cancer types. They combined cancer genomics data with ribosome profiling, a technique that can help identify genetic sequences being used to produce proteins. They then used artificial intelligence-based structural modelling to examine thousands of candidate micropeptides.
The analysis identified 1,782 high-confidence micropeptides encoded by 478 lncRNA genes. Of these, 314 were associated with significant changes across different cancer stages.
“For years, these RNAs were largely overlooked as a source of proteins,” said Stav Zok, one of the study’s authors. “By bringing together large cancer datasets with computational and AI-based tools, we were able to systematically uncover hundreds of overlooked candidate micropeptides that had been hiding in plain sight.”
Micropeptides Linked to Cancer
The researchers also found that many of the micropeptides had distinctive sequence and structural characteristics, suggesting that some may have biological functions that have yet to be investigated.
“Our findings suggest that long non-coding RNAs may contribute to cancer in more ways than previously appreciated,” said Prof. Michal Linial of the university’s Department of Biological Chemistry. “These hidden micropeptides represent a largely unexplored class of molecules that could help us better understand cancer progression.”
The researchers identified micropeptides that could potentially be useful as biomarkers for tracking cancer progression. They also identified candidates that may be involved in peptide presentation on tumour-cell surfaces, a process that can influence interactions between tumour cells and immune cells.
The scientists stressed that further research is needed to determine which micropeptides have biological functions and whether they directly influence tumour growth, spread or other aspects of cancer.
The findings were published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Cancer.
