Long non-coding RNAs associated with non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Lung cancer, with 80-85% being non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), always defined as non-protein-coding RNA molecules longer than 200 nucleotides, are now thought as a new frontier in the study of human malignant diseases including NSCLC. As researches continue, increasing number of roles that lncRNAs play in NSCLC has been found, and more and more evidences show lncRNAs have a close relationship with patients' response to radiochemotherapy or molecular therapy. The aim of this review is to disclose the roles that lncRNAs play in NSCLC and how lncRANs influence the treatment of NSCLC.

Keywords: NSCLC; chemotherapy; lncRNAs; molecular therapy; radiotherapy.

Figure 1. LncRNAs associated non-T790M mutation of NSCLC

UCA1 activated AKT/mTOR pathway and related to non-T790M mutation. LncRNA BC087858 induced non-T790M mutation by activating PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways.

Figure 2. Hypothesis: LncRNAs associated the patients’ response to anti-PD-1 or anti-PDL-1 treatment

(A) LncRNAs could be precursors of miRNAs. P53 regulated PDL-1 via miR-34, and miR-34 enhanced T cell activation via targeting diacylglycerol kinase ζ. (B) LncRNAs could act as ceRNAs to alter the distribution of miRNA molecules on their targets.