Molecular Insights into Widespread Pseudouridine RNA Modifications: Implications for Women’s Health and Disease

Pseudouridine (Ψ), the most abundant RNA modification, plays essential roles in shaping RNA structure, stability, and translational output. Beyond cancer, Ψ is dynamically regulated across numerous physiological and pathological contexts-including immune activation, metabolic disorders, stress responses, and pregnancy-related conditions such as preeclampsia-where elevated Ψ levels reflect intensified RNA turnover and modification activity. These broad functional roles highlight pseudouridylation as a central regulator of cellular homeostasis. Emerging evidence demonstrates that Ψ dysregulation contributes directly to the development and progression of several women's cancers, including breast, ovarian, endometrial, and cervical malignancies. Elevated Ψ levels in tissues, blood, and urine correlate with tumor burden, metastatic potential, and therapeutic responsiveness. Aberrant activity of Ψ synthases such as PUS1, PUS7, and the H/ACA ribonucleoprotein component dyskerin alters pseudouridylation patterns across multiple RNA substrates, including rRNA, tRNA, mRNA, lncRNAs, snoRNAs, and ncRNAs. These widespread modifications reshape ribosome function, modify transcript stability and translational efficiency, reprogram RNA-protein interactions, and activate oncogenic signaling programs. Advances in high-resolution, site-specific Ψ mapping technologies have further revealed mechanistic links between pseudouridylation and malignant transformation, highlighting how modification of distinct RNA classes contributes to altered cellular identity and tumor progression. Collectively, Ψ and its modifying enzymes represent promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets across women's cancers, while also serving as sensitive indicators of diverse non-cancer physiological and disease states.