Long Non-Coding RNA: An Emerging Paradigm of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains a worldwide issue and burden that is hard to resolve given its low resection rate and chemo-resistance. Early diagnosis and early treatment are critical for conquering pancreatic cancer. Therefore, new biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis are urgently needed. Previously, researchers mainly focused on protein-coding genetic and epigenetic changes in many types of cancers, and regarded the noncoding part as waste. Recently, however, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has emerged as a major participant in carcinogenesis, as it regulates cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, chemo-resistance, etc. The underlying mechanisms are summarized as signaling, decoy, guide and scaffold, yet the specific regulation networks remain to be uncovered. Several studies have revealed that some lncRNAs are dysregulated in pancreatic cancer, participating in biological functions. In this review, we will briefly outline the functional lncRNAs in pancreatic cancer, decipher possible mechanisms of lncRNAs, and further explore their significance in pancreatic cancer.