Radio-lncRNAs: Biological Function and Potential Use as Biomarkers for Personalized Oncology

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) consist of at least 200 nucleotides. Although these molecules do not code proteins, they carry many regulatory functions in normal cells, as well as in cancer cells. For instance, many of these molecules have been previously correlated with tumorigenesis of different cancers and their reaction to various stress factors, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or reactive oxygen species (ROS). The lncRNAs are associated not only with dysregulation in cancers after applied treatment but also with beneficial effects that may be achieved by modulating their expression, often significantly enhancing the patients’ outcomes. A multitude of these molecules was previously considered as potential biomarkers of tumor development, progression, or cells’ response to radio- or chemotherapy. Irradiation, which is often used in treating numerous cancer types, is not always sufficient due to cells gaining resistance in multiple ways. In this review, studies considering lncRNAs and their reaction to radiotherapy were examined. These molecules were divided regarding their role in specific processes strictly related to irradiation, and their influence on this type of treatment was explained, showing how vast an impact they have on IR-supported combat with the disease. This review aims to shed some light on potential future lncRNA-based biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Host gene and its guest: short story about relation of long-noncoding MIR31HG transcript and microRNA miR-31

“…The development of new techniques, such as massive RNA sequencing, bioinformatics and even artificial intelligence (AI), caused an unbelievable growth in the number of discoveries of different types of ncRNA molecules [ 89 , 90 ]. The public release of data from the The Human Cancer Genome (TCGA) project made it possible to analyze the data in terms of searching for, for example, lncRNA, in 33 different cancers [ 91 , 92 ]. The TCGA is an immeasurable source of knowledge used as the first source of data for selection of genes and later validated in in vivo and in vitro models.…”

The Expanding Roles of Long Non‐Coding RNAs in Pancreatic Cancer

“…LncRNAs affect the radiation response of pancreatic cancer cells by regulating the expression of multiple genes and signaling pathways. [ 101 ] The expression of HOTAIR increased in pancreatic cancer cells, including PANC‐1 and AsPC‐1 cells, after radiation. Another study confirmed this finding by showing that HOTAIR knockdown heightened radiosensitivity and affected autophagy by increasing ATG7 expression.…”

LINC01134: a pivotal oncogene with promising predictive maker and therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Emerging data highlight the significant role of lncRNAs in human pathologies ( 23 – 25 ), especially in malignant tumors ( 26 – 29 ). Dysregulation of lncRNAs has been closely linked to tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy ( 30 – 34 ), radiotherapy ( 35 – 38 ), and immune responses ( 39 – 41 ), underscoring their crucial involvement in cancer development.…”