Long Noncoding RNAs and Cancer Stem Cells: Dangerous Liaisons Managing Cancer

Decades of research have investigated the mechanisms that lead to the origin of cancer, striving to identify tumor-initiating cells. These cells, also known as cancer stem cells, are characterized by the ability to self-renew, to give rise to differentiated tumor populations, and on a larger scale,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences 2023-01, Vol.24 (3), p.1828
Main Authors: Ciafrè, Silvia Anna, Russo, Monia, Michienzi, Alessandro, Galardi, Silvia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biosynthesis
Cancer
cancer stem cells
Cancer therapies
ceRNAs
Chemotherapy
Chromatin
epigenetic regulation
Epigenetics
Gene expression
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Genomes
Homeostasis
Humans
Kinases
Leukemia
lncRNAs
Localization
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - genetics
Neoplastic Stem Cells - metabolism
Non-coding RNA
Proteins
Radiation therapy
Review
RNA polymerase
RNA, Long Noncoding - genetics
RNA, Long Noncoding - metabolism
RNA-binding protein
Roles
Stem cells
Transcription factors
Tumors
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Summary:Decades of research have investigated the mechanisms that lead to the origin of cancer, striving to identify tumor-initiating cells. These cells, also known as cancer stem cells, are characterized by the ability to self-renew, to give rise to differentiated tumor populations, and on a larger scale, are deemed responsible not only for tumor initiation but also for recurrent tumors, often resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Long noncoding RNAs are RNA molecules longer than 200 nt, lacking the ability to code for proteins, with recognized roles as fine regulators of gene expression. They can exert these functions through a variety of mechanisms, acting at almost all steps of gene expression, from modulation of the epigenetic state of chromatin to modulation of protein stability. In all cases, lncRNAs do not work alone, but they always interact with other RNA molecules, either coding or non-coding, or with protein factors. In this review, we summarize the latest results obtained about the involvement of lncRNAs in the initiating cells of several types of tumors, and highlight the different mechanisms through which they work, while discussing how the modulation of a lncRNA can affect several aspects of tumor onset and progression.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms24031828