Noncoding RNAs in endocrine malignancy.
Only recently has it been uncovered that the mammalian transcriptome includes a large number of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that play a variety of important regulatory roles in gene expression and other biological processes. Among numerous kinds of ncRNAs, short noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs, have been extensively investigated with regard to their biogenesis, function, and importance in carcinogenesis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have only recently been implicated in playing a key regulatory role in cancer biology. The deregulation of ncRNAs has been demonstrated to have important roles in the regulation and progression of cancer development. In this review, we describe the roles of both short noncoding RNAs (including microRNAs, small nuclear RNAs, and piwi-interacting RNAs) and lncRNAs in carcinogenesis and outline the possible underlying genetic mechanisms, with particular emphasis on clinical applications. The focus of our review includes studies from the literature on ncRNAs in traditional endocrine-related cancers, including thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal gland, and gastrointestinal neuroendocrine malignancies. The current and potential future applications of ncRNAs in clinical cancer research is also discussed, with emphasis on diagnosis and future treatment.
Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, and Endocrine Surgical Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jessica
J
Kentwell
Justin S
JS
Gundara
Stan B
SB
Sidhu
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000235:genetics; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
D035683:MicroRNAs; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding
Endocrine gland neoplasms; Long noncoding RNA; Oncogenes; Small untranslated RNA; Tumor suppressor genes