title: The decalog of long non-coding RNA involvement in cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
abstract: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts without protein-coding capacity; initially regarded as "transcriptional noise", lately they have emerged as essential factors in both cell biology and mechanisms of disease. In this article, we present basic knowledge of lncRNA molecular mechanisms, associated physiological processes and cancer association, as well as their diagnostic and therapeutic value in the form of a decalog: (1) Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are transcripts without protein-coding capacity divided by size (short and long ncRNAs), function (housekeeping RNA and regulatory RNA) and direction of transcription (sense/antisense, bidirectional, intronic and intergenic), containing a broad range of molecules with diverse properties and functions, such as messenger RNA, transfer RNA, microRNA and long non-coding RNAs. (2) Long non-coding RNAs are implicated in many molecular mechanisms, such as transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation and processing of other short ncRNAs. (3) Long non-coding RNAs play an important role in many physiological processes such as X-chromosome inactivation, cell differentiation, immune response and apoptosis. (4) Long non-coding RNAs have been linked to hallmarks of cancer: (a) sustaining proliferative signaling; (b) evading growth suppressors; (c) enabling replicative immortality; (d) activating invasion and metastasis; (e) inducing angiogenesis; (f) resisting cell death; and (g) reprogramming energy metabolism. (5) Regarding their impact on cancer cells, lncRNAs are divided into two groups: oncogenic and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs. (6) Studies of lncRNA involvement in cancer usually analyze deregulated expression patterns at the RNA level as well as the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms and copy number variations at the DNA level. (7) Long non-coding RNAs have potential as novel biomarkers due to tissue-specific expression patterns, efficient detection in body fluids and high stability. (8) LncRNAs serve as novel biomarkers for diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring purposes. (9) Tissue specificity of lncRNAs enables the development of selective therapeutic options. (10) Long non-coding RNAs are emerging as commercial biomarkers and therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana , Domzale , Slovenia .
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunej
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Obsteter
authors.forename: Ziva
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pogacar
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horvat
authors.forename: George Adrian
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Calin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D022661:RNA, Untranslated
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D022661:RNA, Untranslated
keywords: Biomarker; cancer; diagnostics; gene expression; long non-coding RNA; non-protein coding genes