Decoding the Oncogenic Signals from the Long Non-Coding RNAs

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Multifactorial etiology of cancer and tumor heterogeneity are the two most acute challenges in existing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer. An effective precision cancer medicine strategy to overcome these challenges requires a clear understanding of the transcriptomic landscape of cancer cells. Recent innovative breakthroughs in high-throughput sequencing technologies have identified the oncogenic or tumor-suppressor role of several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). LncRNAs have been characterized as regulating various signaling cascades which are involved in the pathobiology of cancer. They modulate cancer cell survival, proliferation, metabolism, invasive metastasis, stemness, and therapy-resistance through their interactions with specific sets of proteins, miRNAs and other non-coding RNAs, mRNAs, or DNAs in cells. By virtue of their ability to regulate multiple sets of genes and their cognate signaling pathways, lncRNAs are emerging as potential candidates for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets. This review is focused on providing insight into the mechanisms by which different lncRNAs play a critical role in cancer growth, and their potential role in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.