Robust CRISPR Screens Identify TPL1 as a Novel Long Noncoding RNA Driving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Hallmarks

Despite the growing catalog of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), the functional roles of their vast majority in cancer remain poorly defined. To systematically explore lncRNA dependencies in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), we compiled a comprehensive annotation by merging GENCODE, BIGTranscriptome, and MiTranscriptome databases and performed a CRISPR-Cas9 deletion screen targeting 1,029 TNBC-enriched lncRNAs. The screen revealed several essential lncRNAs and those modulating doxorubicin sensitivity, with TPL1 emerging among top hits. TPL1 silencing significantly impaired TNBC cell proliferation in both 2D and 3D cultures and reduced invasive capacity in an organ-on-chip model. Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling following TPL1 knockdown revealed downregulation of genes involved in ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, cell migration, and PI3K-Akt signaling. Mechanistically, TPL1 directly interacted with key proteins including EIF4B, MDM2, TARBP2, TLE5, and GTPase RAN, suggesting TPL1 could regulate RNA processing, transcriptional repression, and translation, as well as modulate GTPase signaling pathways. Additionally, TPL1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), sequestering miR-10396b-5p, miR-486-3p, and miR-450a-2-3p, among others, thereby modulating expression of pro-tumorigenic targets. Clinically, TPL1 was significantly overexpressed in TNBC tissues, particularly in the BLIS subtype. Collectively, our findings highlight TPL1 as a key regulator of TNBC molecular networks and a promising therapeutic target.