Super enhancer lncRNAs: a novel hallmark in cancer

Cell Commun Signal. 2024 Apr 2;22(1):207. doi: 10.1186/s12964-024-01599-6.

Abstract

Super enhancers (SEs) consist of clusters of enhancers, harboring an unusually high density of transcription factors, mediator coactivators and epigenetic modifications. SEs play a crucial role in the maintenance of cancer cell identity and promoting oncogenic transcription. Super enhancer lncRNAs (SE-lncRNAs) refer to either transcript from SEs locus or interact with SEs, whose transcriptional activity is highly dependent on SEs. Moreover, these SE-lncRNAs can interact with their associated enhancer regions in cis and modulate the expression of oncogenes or key signal pathways in cancers. Inhibition of SEs would be a promising therapy for cancer. In this review, we summarize the research of SE-lncRNAs in different kinds of cancers so far and decode the mechanism of SE-lncRNAs in carcinogenesis to provide novel ideas for the cancer therapy.

Keywords: BRD4; CDK; Cancer; SE-lncRNA; Super enhancer.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic / genetics
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms* / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding* / genetics
  • Super Enhancers
  • Transcription Factors / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Transcription Factors