Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are one of the ncRNAs that transcript with length more than 200 nt that are not translated into protein. Studies have shown that lncRNAs have regulatory function in human disease especially cancers. lncRNA dysfunction causes altered cellular behavior including proliferation, invasion, and migration, and also it can inhibit apoptosis. Long non‐coding zinc finger E‐box binding homeobox 2 antisense RNA1 (lnZEB2‐AS1) is one of the lncRNAs that plays the oncogenic role in different cancers. Dysregulation of lncZEB2‐AS1 can lead to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. lncZEB2‐AS1 may be introduced as a diagnostic marker or therapeutic target for human cancers. In this review, we describe briefly the mechanism of ZEB2‐AS1 in cells and its function in cancer progression.

CircRNAs are a superabundant and highly conserved group of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are characterized by their high stability and integrity compared with linear forms of ncRNAs. Recently, their critical role in gene expression regulation has been shown; thus, it is not far-fetched to believe that their abnormal expression can be a cause of different kinds of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases. They can have a function in variety of biological processes such as microRNA (miRNA) sponging, interacting with RNA-binding proteins, or even an ability to translate to proteins. A huge challenge in finding diagnostic biomarkers is finding noninvasive biomarkers that can be detected in human fluids, especially blood samples. CircRNAs are becoming candidate biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of these diseases through their ability to transverse from the blood-brain barrier and their broad presence in circulating exosomes. The circRNA for miRNA-7 (ciRS-7) is newly recognized, and acknowledged to being related to human pathology and cancer progression. In this review, we first briefly summarize the latest studies about their characteristics, biogenesis, and their mechanisms of action in the regulation and development of human diseases. Finally, we provide a list of diseases that are linked to one member of this novel class of ncRNAs called ciRS-7.

Background Breast cancer is considered the most prevalent type of cancer in women and accounts for a high rate of death. A body of research has demonstrated that lncRNAs have a regulatory function in human diseases, especially cancers. ZEB2‐AS1 is known as an oncogenic lncRNA in various types of cancers, and its deregulation may contribute to cancer development and progression. Therefore, we aimed to reveal the association of ZEB2‐AS1 expression with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, as a hallmark of cancer progression, in a clinical setting. Methods A recent study suggested that ZEB2‐AS1 is significantly involved in EMT. Here we intended to explore the roles of lncRNA ZEB2‐AS1 in breast cancer (BC) using bioinformatics tools and laboratory settings. We first evaluated the expression of ZEB2‐AS1 mRNA in tumor and healthy control tissues by lnCAR database. Furthermore, ZEB2‐AS1 expression level, ZEB2, E‐cadherin, and vimentin was measured via qRT‐PCR in 30 paired ductal and lobular carcinoma tissues from breast cancer patients and the normal adjacent ones. The correlation between the lncRNA ZEB2‐AS1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of the breast cancer patients was evaluated. Results ZEB2‐AS1 showed an upregulation in breast cancer tissues ( p = .04) compared to normal adjacent samples. In addition, its level was higher in breast cancer patients with advanced Stages (III & IV) ( n = 18) compared to early Stages (I & II) ( n = 12) ( p = .04). Moreover, ZEB2 ( p = .01) and vimentin ( p = .02) expression were upregulated in the BC sample, but the expression level of E‐cadherin ( p = .02) was downregulated when compared with the adjacent normal tissues. By comparison of the expression of EMT‐markers between different stages of breast cancer, overexpression of ZEB2 ( p = .04) and vimentin ( p = .04) and down expression of E‐cadherin ( p = .03) was observed in advance stages. Conclusions Collectively, our findings suggest that ZEB2‐AS1 expression is significantly upregulated in tumor tissues, especially in advanced stages and ZEB2‐AS1 is associated with the aggressiveness of tumors by functioning as putative oncogenic lncRNA. In addition, a combination of ZEB2‐AS1 and these EMT markers in breast cancer potentiates these genes as biomarkers for tumor progression.

: As a transcriptional regulation element, the microRNA plays a crucial role in any aspect of molecular biological processes like cellular metabolism, cell division, cell death, cell movement, intracellular signaling, and immunity was discovered. Previous studies have been suggested that microRNA-214 (miR-214) probably is a valuable marker in cancer. Here, in this perspective, we provide a brief updated overview of the vital dual role of miR-214 in cancer as a tumor suppressor or oncogene. We also collected target genes and signaling pathways related to the dysregulation of miR-214 by previous experimental research in various human diseases. To highlight the critical function of miR-214 in the prognostic, diagnostic, and pathogenesis of cancer diseases, we focused on the probable clinical biomarker and drug resistance function of miR-214. The current research provides a comprehensive perspective of the regulatory mechanisms governed by miR-214 in human disease pathogenesis and a list of probable candidates for future study.