Circulating non-coding RNAs in recurrent and metastatic ovarian cancer

Abstract

Ovarian cancer has a poor outcome because it is usually detected at advanced tumor stages, and the majority of the patients develop disease relapse as a result of chemotherapy resistance. This most lethal gynecological malignancy metastasizes within the peritoneal fluid or ascites to pelvic and distal organs. In ovarian cancer progression and metastasis, small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs have been recognized as important regulators. Their dysregulation modulates gene expression and cellular signal pathways and can be detected in liquid biopsies. In this review, we provide an overview on circulating plasma and serum ncRNAs participating in tumor cell migration and invasion, and contributing to recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer. We will also discuss the development of potential, novel therapies using ncRNAs as target molecules or tumor markers for ovarian cancer.

Role of different non-coding RNAs as ovarian cancer biomarkers

“…Gene expression is regulated by miRNAs at the posttranscriptional level, whereas transcriptional and posttranscriptional events are regulated by lncRNA, and some play significant roles in the pathogenesis of human diseases. Many ncRNAs (lncRNA, siRNA, miRNA, piRNA, and circRNA) play significant roles in various stages of cancer; their roles are well demonstrated in ovarian cancer and its treatment [ 12 , 13 ]. Necrotic and apoptotic cells help [ 14 ] them to get released into blood circulation where they are associated with proteins called argonaute [ 12 , 13 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…Many ncRNAs (lncRNA, siRNA, miRNA, piRNA, and circRNA) play significant roles in various stages of cancer; their roles are well demonstrated in ovarian cancer and its treatment [ 12 , 13 ]. Necrotic and apoptotic cells help [ 14 ] them to get released into blood circulation where they are associated with proteins called argonaute [ 12 , 13 , 15 , 16 ]. Argonautes are helpful to ncRNAs, particularly these proteins bind to short non-coding RNAs and play a significant role in RNA-based silencing by regulating protein synthesis and RNA stability.…”

“…Although the function and biogenesis of piRNAs are not clear, studies with deep sequencing technology help to compare different expression profiles of these sncRNAs in different tissues. Particularly, researchers now search for differential expression of different sncRNAs in tumor tissues to compare with normal tissues in different metastatic cancers [ 3 , 12 , 13 , 44 ].…”

“…piRNAs also show a distinguished role in OC. Four PIWI proteins i.e., PIWIL1/HIWI, PIWIL2/HILI PIWIL3/HIWI3 and PIWIL4/HIWI2 that have been identified in the prognosis and diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer [ 12 , 13 , 45 ]. Weng, Li et al reviewed piRNAs’ involvement in prognosis, diagnosis, migration, and invasion in different cancers [ 46 ].…”

New insights of liquid biopsy in ovarian cancer

“…LncRNAs are a subclass of non-coding RNAs, that is not translated into protein and that contains approximately 200 nucleotides, which differs from short ncRNAs [87]. They have a big impact on the cell environment as transcriptional regulators, due to the speci ic interactions with other cell components, such as proteins, DNA, or RNA [88]. Mutations in the structure of lncRNA can change the basic cell functions, leading to the growth of cancer tumors.…”