Dysregulated expression of long noncoding RNAs in gynecologic cancers

Mol Cancer. 2017 Jun 21;16(1):107. doi: 10.1186/s12943-017-0671-2.

Abstract

Cancers of the female reproductive system include ovarian, uterine, vaginal, cervical and vulvar cancers, which are termed gynecologic cancer. The emergence of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are believed to play a crucial role in several different biological processes, has made the regulation of gene expression more complex. Although the function of lncRNAs is still rather elusive, their broad involvement in the initiation and progression of various cancers is clear. They are also involved in the pathogenesis of cancers of the female reproductive system. LncRNAs play a critical physiological role in apoptosis, metastasis, invasion, migration and cell proliferation in these cancers. Different expression profiles of lncRNAs have been observed in various types of tumors compared with normal tissues and between malignant and benign tumors. These differential expression patterns may lead to the promotion or suppression of cancer development and tumorigenesis. In the current review, we present the lncRNAs that show a differential expression between cancerous and normal tissues in ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancers, and highlight the associations between lncRNAs and some of the molecular pathways involved in these cancers.

Keywords: Cervical cancer; Endometrial cancer; Female reproductive system; Long noncoding RNA; Ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Endometrial Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / genetics*

Substances

  • MALAT1 long non-coding RNA, human
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • long non-coding RNA CCAT2, human