Long noncoding RNAs in prostate cancer: mechanisms and applications.
A large proportion of the control of gene expression in humans is mediated by noncoding elements in the genome. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as a new class of pivotal regulatory components, orchestrating extensive cellular processes and connections. LncRNAs play various roles from chromatin modification to alternative splicing and post-transcriptional processing and are involved in almost all aspects of eukaryotic regulation. LncRNA-based mechanisms modulate cell fates during development, and their dysregulation underscores many human disorders, especially cancer, through chromosomal translocation, deletion, and nucleotide expansions. Recent studies demonstrate that multiple prostate cancer risk loci are associated with lncRNAs and that ectopic expression of these transcripts triggers a cascade of cellular events driving tumor initiation and progression. The recent increased rate of discovery of lncRNAs has been leveraged for application in clinical strategies such as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Despite this potential, many issues remain to be addressed in this fast-growing field.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ; Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Chunlai
C
Li
Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Program in Cancer Biology; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston; Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Liuqing
L
Yang
Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Program in Cancer Biology; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston; Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Chunru
C
Lin
biomarker; epigenetic modification; long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs); metastasis; prostate cancer; regulatory mechanism; therapeutic target