Targeting lncRNAs of colorectal cancers with natural products

Abstract

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) is one of the functional classes of RNA that has a regulatory role in various cellular processes, such as modulation of disease onset, progression, and prognosis. ncRNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), have been actively studied in recent years. The change in ncRNA levels is being actively studied in numerous human diseases, especially auto-immune disorders and cancers; however, targeting and regulating ncRNA with natural products to cure cancer has not been fully established. Recently many groups reported the relationship between ncRNA and natural products showing promising effects to serve as additional therapeutic approaches to cure cancers. This mini-review summarizes the aspects of lncRNAs related to cancer biology focusing on colorectal cancers that natural products can target.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; lncRNA; lysosome; natural products; ncRNA; solid tumor.

FIGURE 1

Roles of lncRNAs and natural products in cancers. (A) lncRNAs change the level of miRNAs which leads to apoptosis. miRNA inhibition can also lead to buffing the effect of miRNAs. LncRNAs lead to the EMT process by interacting with EZH2 and enhancing H3K27me3 levels. LncRNAs control the transcriptional and translational levels by controlling DNA and mRNA directly and are involved in chromatin modification. LncRNAs bind to DNMT and suppress DNA methylation. (B). Natural products have several biological effects on lncRNAs directly and indirectly. Natural products can directly bind to lncRNAs to enhance or inactivate lncRNAs. Natural products can also control miRNAs and cancer signals that lead to activating or inactivating lncRNAs related to cancers.