LncRNAs in breast cancer: a link to future approaches

Abstract

Breast cancer affects millions of women each year. Despite recent advances in targeted treatments breast cancer remains a significant threat to women’s health. In recent years the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies has advanced the field of transcriptomics shedding light on the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), in human cellular function and disease. LncRNAs are classified as transcripts longer than 200nt with no coding potential. These transcripts constitute a diverse group of regulatory molecules essential to the modulation of crucial cellular processes, which dysregulation of leads to disease. LncRNAs exert their regulatory functions through their sequences and by forming complex secondary and tertiary structures that interact with other transcripts, chromatin and/or proteins. Numerous studies have provided evidence of the involvement of LncRNAs in tumor development and disease progression. They possess multiple characteristics that make them novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Indeed, the discovery of a novel mechanism by which lncRNAs associated with proteins can induce the formation of phase-separated droplets broadens our understanding of the spatiotemporal control of cellular processes and opens up developing a new treatment. Nevertheless, the role and the molecular mechanisms of many lncRNAs in the regulation of cellular processes and cancer still remain elusive. This is due to the absence of a thorough characterization of the regulatory role of their loci and the functional impact of their aberrations in cancer biology. Here, we present some of the latest advances concerning the role of LncRNAs in breast cancer.

FLVCR1-AS1 and FBXL19-AS1: Two Putative lncRNA Candidates in Multiple Human Cancers

“…LncRNA dysregulation is present in the onset and progression of various cancers: Both upregulation and downregulation can play a role in the formation and spread of cancer [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Since lncRNAs in both tissues and fluids are easily detectable, they can be considered a suitable diagnostic biomarker in cancer diagnosis [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”

Therapeutic significance of long noncoding RNAs in estrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer

“…Predictive techniques for discovering their interactions in cellular type, localization, and illness association are being developed, and lncRNA databases are being assembled to clarify their intricate roles and activities. The capacity of lncRNAs to bind to proteins and trigger the creation of phase‐separated droplets is a novel and fascinating mechanism that could expand our comprehension of the spatiotemporal regulation of cellular functions and offer novel therapeutic approaches 115 . Personalized medicine examines the usefulness of identifying circulating lncRNAs and the interference with endogenous lncRNA interactions caused by targeting their structures with molecular inhibitors.…”

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

“…The importance of lncRNAs has been revealed through their ability to act as promoters of tumorigenesis besides tumor suppressors, providing mounting evidence of their involvement in cancer initiation, progression, and outcomes through several mechanisms [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Accumulating evidence supports the association of lncRNA variants with the risk and prognosis of various cancers, including BC [ 36 , 37 , 38 ].…”