Long Non-Coding RNAs: Potential Biomarkers and Targets for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy and Diagnosis
Donghong Yuan, Yu Chen, Xiaobing Li, Jing Li, Yueshui Zhao, Jing Shen, Fukuan Du, Parham Jabbarzadeh Kaboli, Mingxing Li, Xu Wu, Huijiao Ji, Chi Hin Cho, Qinglian Wen, Wanping Li, Zhangang Xiao, Bo Chen
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Increasing studies showed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a novel class of RNAs that are greater than 200 nucleotides in length but lack the ability to encode proteins, exert crucial roles in the occurrence and progression of HCC. LncRNAs promote the proliferation, migration, invasion, autophagy, and apoptosis of tumor cells by regulating downstream target gene expression and cancer-related signaling pathways. Meanwhile, lncRNA can be used as biomarkers to predict the efficacy of HCC treatment strategies, such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, and as a potential individualized tool for HCC diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we overview up-to-date findings on lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for HCC surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy resistance, target therapy, and immunotherapy, and discuss the potential clinical application of lncRNA as tools for HCC diagnosis and treatment.