Roles of lncRNAs in childhood cancer: Current landscape and future perspectives

Abstract

According to World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas and solid tumors, such as neuroblastoma, ostesarcoma and Wilms tumors are the most common types of childhood cancers. Approximately 400,000 children and adolescents between the ages of 0 and 19 are diagnosed with cancer each year worldwide. The cancer incidence rates have been rising for the past few decades. Generally, the prognosis of childhood cancers is favorable, but the survival rate for many unresectable or recurring cancers is substantially worse. Although random genetic mutations, persistent infections, and environmental factors may serve as contributing factors for many pediatric malignancies, the underlying mechanisms are yet unknown. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of transcripts with longer than 200 nucleotides that lack the coding capacity. However, increasing evidence indicates that lncRNAs play vital regulatory roles in cancer initiation and development in both adults and children. In particular, many lncRNAs are stable in cancer patients’ body fluids such as blood and urine, suggesting that they could be used as novel biomarkers. In support of this notion, lncRNAs have been identified in liquid biopsy samples from pediatric cancer patients. In this review, we look at the regulatory functions and underlying processes of lncRNAs in the initiation and progression of children cancer and discuss the potential of lncRNAs as biomarkers for early detection. We hope that this article will help researchers explore lncRNA functions and clinical applications in pediatric cancers.

Wilms Tumor: Updates about Pathogenesis and New Possible Clinical Treatments of the Most Frequent Pediatric Urogenital Cancer: A Narrative Review

“…If mutated in both alleles, this gene causes tumor onset. In hereditary forms, the mutation on one of the alleles is inherited from one parent, while the mutation on the other allele is acquired later, while in sporadic (nonhereditary) forms both mutations are acquired [17]. Some gene mutations, on the other hand, lead to the production of a non-functioning protein, thus determining a lack of control of cellular differentiation; however, when present in germ cells, these mutations cause severe developmental abnormalities of the kidneys and abnormalities of sexual differentiation, demonstrating the essential role of WT1 in the normal development of the urogenital tract.…”

Updates about Wilms' Tumor: Pathogenesis, and New Possible Treatments of the Most Frequent Pediatric Urogenital Cancer

“…In hereditary forms, the mutation on one of the alleles is inherited from one parent, while the mutation on the other allele is acquired later, while in sporadic (non-hereditary) forms both mutations are acquired. [15] Some gene mutations, on the other hand, lead to the production of a non-functioning protein, thus determining a lack of control of cellular differentiation; however, when present in germ cells, these mutations cause severe developmental abnormalities of the kidneys and abnormalities of sexual differentiation, demonstrating the essential role of WT1 in the normal development of the urogenital tract. Other mutations are implicated in Wilm's tumor, such as the inactivation of the WTX gene located on the short arm of chromosome 11 at position 11p15, deletion of WT2, and loss of heterozygosity of 16q and 1p [16][17][18], as well as the TP53 mutation is associated with a worse prognosis [19], while HMGA2 gene polymorphisms might weakly influence Wilms tumor predisposition, under certain circumstances [20].…”

Characteristics of gut microbiome in patients with pediatric solid tumor

“…This translates to approximately 400,000 cases per year globally ( 2 ), and standing as the second leading cause of mortality in developed countries after accidents ( 3 ). There are numerous types of PST, with wilms tumor, osteosarcoma, and neuroblastoma being the most common types of childhood cancers ( 4 ). Neuroblastoma, constituting roughly 15% of all cancer-related fatalities, stands as the prevalent solid tumor among infants ( 5 ).…”