Breast Cancer and the Other Non-Coding RNAs

Abstract

Breast cancer is very heterogenous and the most common gynaecological cancer, with various factors affecting its development. While its impact on human lives and national health budgets is still rising in almost all global areas, many molecular mechanisms affecting its onset and development remain unclear. Conventional treatments still prove inadequate in some aspects, and appropriate molecular therapeutic targets are required for improved outcomes. Recent scientific interest has therefore focused on the non-coding RNAs roles in tumour development and their potential as therapeutic targets. These RNAs comprise the majority of the human transcript and their broad action mechanisms range from gene silencing to chromatin remodelling. Many non-coding RNAs also have altered expression in breast cancer cell lines and tissues, and this is often connected with increased proliferation, a degraded extracellular environment, and higher endothelial to mesenchymal transition. Herein, we summarise the known abnormalities in the function and expression of long non-coding RNAs, Piwi interacting RNAs, small nucleolar RNAs and small nuclear RNAs in breast cancer, and how these abnormalities affect the development of this deadly disease. Finally, the use of RNA interference to suppress breast cancer growth is summarised.

Long non-coding RNA HEIH: a novel tumor activator in multiple cancers

“…Hence, screening out reliable potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for breast cancer should be a priority. Alterations of certain lncRNAs in breast cancer activate malignancy pathways and induce cancer cell proliferation and progression, which increasingly attracted widespread attention [ 47 ]. Recent studies have investigated the potential function and molecular mechanisms of HEIH in breast cancer.…”

Emerging Roles of Long Noncoding RNAs in Breast Cancer Epigenetics and Epitranscriptomics

“…LncRNAs have important documented cellular functions, as recently reviewed ( Statello et al, 2021 ), and they have also been implicated in virtually any hallmark of cancer cells, from their capacity for proliferation and survival through increased metabolism to their relationship with the tumor microenvironment. Examples include lncRNAs involved in transcriptional regulation by key oncogenic or tumor-suppressive transcription factors, such as p53 ( Sanchez et al, 2014 ) or MYC ( Hart et al, 2014 ), with a number of instances related to BC ( Dvorska et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2021 ). Of note, many lncRNAs are linked to epigenetic processes within a cell.…”

Migration/Differentiation-Associated LncRNA SENCR rs12420823*C/T: A Novel Gene Variant Can Predict Survival and Recurrence in Patients with Breast Cancer

“…Accumulating evidence has realized that more than 90% of the total genome is actively transcribed, but not all DNA sequences have the protein-coding potential [ 5 ]. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are of increasing interest as their genetic variants and expressions are often altered in various malignancies, including BC [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”

“…One family of ncRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs; >200 bp), have been implicated in BC tumorigenesis and progression via multiple genetic/epigenetic mechanisms in a tissue-specific pattern [ 12 ]. Several genetic variants are also associated with deregulated expression of these lncRNAs in BC [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”