lncRNA and Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Cancers of the Genitourinary System

Abstract

Available systemic treatment options for cancers of the genitourinary system have experienced great progress in the last decade. However, a large proportion of patients eventually develop resistance to treatment, resulting in disease progression and shorter overall survival. Biomarkers indicating the increasing resistance to cancer therapies are yet to enter clinical routine. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are non-protein coding RNA transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that exert multiple types of regulatory functions of all known cellular processes. Increasing evidence supports the role of lncRNAs in cancer development and progression. Additionally, their involvement in the development of drug resistance across various cancer entities, including genitourinary malignancies, are starting to be discovered. Consequently, lncRNAs have been suggested as factors in novel therapeutic strategies to overcome drug resistance in cancer. In this review, the existing evidences on lncRNAs and their involvement in mechanisms of drug resistance in cancers of the genitourinary system, including renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer, will be highlighted and discussed to facilitate and encourage further research in this field. We summarize a significant number of lncRNAs with proposed pathways in drug resistance and available reported studies.

An epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related long noncoding RNA signature correlates with the prognosis and progression in patients with bladder cancer

“…This feature suggests that these noncoding sequences may participate in the extremely complex process of life regulation. Among these noncoding sequences, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) can regulate gene expression and protein activity by affecting chromatin modification and RNA splicing, thus occupying an important position [ 21 , 22 ]. The role of lncRNA in the occurrence, development, prognosis, and chemotherapy resistance of malignant tumours has become a research hotspot.…”

Long Non-Coding RNAs: Role in Testicular Cancers

“…In the case of testicular cancer, few lncRNAs have been linked to its pathogenesis ( 153 , 154 ), and even though no clinical studies are available for many of them, these lncRNA may represent promising drug targets or biomarkers.…”

The regulatory role of antisense lncRNAs in cancer

“…Mechanistic investigations revealed that antisense lncRNAs can affect biological process in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, such as epigenetic modulations and translational control. Furthermore, the aberrant expression of antisense lncRNAs is responsible for chemoradioresistance, a major obstacle to cancer therapy [ 23 , 24 ]. Research on antisense lncRNAs has indicated their potential in therapeutic approaches; therefore, it necessary to summarize the roles and molecular mechanisms of antisense lncRNAs in the process of cancer development and progression.…”