Long Non-Coding RNA: A Potential Strategy for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC), being one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, endangers human health. Because the pathological mechanism of CRC is not fully understood, there are many challenges in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently drawn great attention for their potential roles in the different stages of CRC formation, invasion, and progression, including regulation of molecular signaling pathways, apoptosis, autophagy, angiogenesis, tumor metabolism, immunological responses, cell cycle, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This review aims to discuss the potential mechanisms of several oncogenic lncRNAs, as well as several suppressor lncRNAs, in CRC occurrence and development to aid in the discovery of new methods for CRC diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis assessment.

Graphene Quantum-Dot-Based Nanophotonic Approach for Targeted Detection of Long Noncoding RNAs in Circulation

“…The lncRNAs are important regulatory RNA transcripts, known to circulate in different bodily fluids at differential levels in diseased and normal conditions. − As lncRNAs can potentially serve as a diagnostic biomarker, rapid screening of these circulating biomolecules has a remarkable clinical importance. Owing to this, we developed a simplified nanophotonic approach for the rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of lncRNAs.…”

Emerging roles for lncRNA-NEAT1 in colorectal cancer

“…The NEAT1 gene exhibits characteristics of cancer drivers since it initiates and progresses tumors, and its frequent dysregulation in cancer is correlated with metastasis, recurrence rate, and survival [ 55 ]. There has recently been a great deal of interest in lncRNAs for potential functions in the different stages of CRC formation, invasion, and progression [ 56 ]. According to recent studies, NEAT1 is overexpressed and plays an oncogenic role in CRC [ 57 – 59 ].…”

“…These findings support the idea that lncRNAs are important therapeutic targets in CRC (Table 1 ). Furthermore, lncRNA-mediated treatment of patients with CRC might be a promising approach [ 34 ]. LncRNAs play a key role in colon carcinogenesis and progression [ 35 , 36 ], with one study used RNA sequencing data from the TCGA dataset to find approximately 200 differently expressed lncRNAs in CRC [ 37 ].…”

Discovery and Validation of Clinically Relevant Long Non-Coding RNAs in Colorectal Cancer

“…Compared to traditional diagnostic methods, such as colonoscopy or prognostic methods, including measuring tumor size and metastasis, the detection of biomarkers is less invasive. Unlike traditional tests, biomarker analysis can be carried out using urine, fecal, plasma, saliva or serum samples [ 6 ]. Thus, biomarkers have the potential to distinguish between benign and cancerous tumors (polyps vs. carcinomas) less invasively, while providing more accurate predictions of disease progression, likelihood of relapse, and even chance of onset [ 6 ].…”

“…Unlike traditional tests, biomarker analysis can be carried out using urine, fecal, plasma, saliva or serum samples [ 6 ]. Thus, biomarkers have the potential to distinguish between benign and cancerous tumors (polyps vs. carcinomas) less invasively, while providing more accurate predictions of disease progression, likelihood of relapse, and even chance of onset [ 6 ].…”