Emerging roles of noncoding RNAs in human cancers

Abstract

Studies have found that RNA encoding proteins only account for a small part of the total number, most RNA is non-coding RNA, and non-coding RNA may affect the occurrence and development of human cancers by affecting gene expression, therefore play an important role in human pathology. At present, ncRNAs studied include miRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, piRNA, and snoRNA, etc. After decades of research, the basic role of these ncRNAs in many cancers has been clear. As far as we know, the role of miRNAs in cancer is one of the hottest research directions, however, it is also found that the imbalance of ncRNAs will affect the occurrence of gastric cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, meanwhile, it may also affect the prognosis of these cancers. Therefore, the study of ncRNAs in cancers may help to find new cancer diagnostic and treatment methods. Here, we reviewed the biosynthesis and characteristics of miRNA, cricRNA, and lncRNA etc., their roles in human cancers, as well as the mechanism through which these ncRNAs affect human cancers.

Keywords: Cancer; circRNA; lncRNA; miRNA; ncRNA.

Fig. 1

ncRNAs in cancers ncRNAs in cancer can affect cancer initiation, progression via three ways: act as oncogenes, cancer suppressors or affect cancer metastasis. When it is used as oncogene, lncRNA H19, miR-21 and miR-17-92 mainly promote the target, while lncRNA PVT1, miR-372/373 and lncRNA HOTAIR inhibit the target. As tumor suppressor, miR-34 and lncRNA MEG3 both promote target P53, and lncRNA MEG3, it can affect autophagy and inhibit cancer, and miR-15a and miR-16-1 affect BCL-2 and inhibit cancer. When lncRNA plays a role in influencing tumor metastasis, it affects the target, thus affecting the occurrence of cancer