The emerging roles of non-coding competing endogenous RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Accumulating evidence has emerged revealing that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play essential roles in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the complicated regulatory interactions among various ncRNAs in the development of HCC are not entirely understood. The newly discovered mechanism of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) uncovered regulatory interactions among different varieties of RNAs. In recent years, a growing number of studies have suggested that ncRNAs, including long ncRNAs, circular RNAs and pseudogenes, play major roles in the biological functions of the ceRNA network in HCC. These ncRNAs can share microRNA response elements to affect microRNA affinity with target RNAs, thus regulating gene expression at the transcriptional level and both physiological and pathological processes. The ncRNAs that function as ceRNAs are involved in diverse biological processes in HCC cells, such as tumor cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. Based on these findings, ncRNAs that act as ceRNAs may be promising candidates for clinical diagnosis and treatments. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and research methods of ceRNA networks. We also reviewed the recent advances in studying the roles of ncRNAs as ceRNAs in HCC and highlight possible directions and possibilities of ceRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets. Finally, the limitations, gaps in knowledge and opportunities for future research are also discussed.

Long Non-Coding RNA LINC01929 Accelerates Progression of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Targeting the miR-137-3p/FOXC1 Axis

“…Several recently conducted researches have pointed out that lncRNA expression disorders actively participate in the development of tumors (23)(24)(25)(26)(27). In OSCC, more and more -196 (32).…”

Long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 7 facilitates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by regulating microRNA-625

“…LncRNAs and miRNAs are interrelated with each other to form a lncRNAmediated ceRNA regulatory network. Increasing evidences show that this network of ceRNAs is closely related to tumorigenesis (19). To date, studies have uncovered numerous lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory networks in ESCC (20).…”

Novel long noncoding RNA Linc1749808 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis by negatively regulating miR-206

“…In addition, transwell assays showed that inhibition of miR-206 could reverse the inhibitory effect of sh-Linc1749808 on 97H cell motility. LncRNAs that function as ceRNAs is involved in diverse biological processes in HCC cells, such as tumor cell proliferation, EMT, invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance [28]. The EMT program is linked to metastasis because it causes the increased motility/invasiveness, related to a mesenchymal cell state, and cell separation from the primary tumor mass can be identified as the first step of the invasion-metastasis cascade [29].…”