Colon Cancer-Associated Transcripts 1 and 2: Roles and functions in human cancers

The long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) Colon Cancer-Associated Transcripts 1 and 2 (CCAT1 and CCAT2) are located in a recurrently amplified region in cancers. Their proximity with the Myc oncogene and their interactions with its promoter provided further evidence for their contribution in the tumorigenesis processes. Several cell line and clinical studies have shown upregulation of these lncRNAs in diverse malignancies. Moreover, some single nucleotide variants within these genes have been associated with cancer risk or therapeutic response in different populations. Besides, these two lncRNAs act as sponges for some tumor suppressor microRNAs (miRNAs), thus promoting cancer evolution. In the current study, we review recent literature about their expression level, interaction with cancer-related pathways, their role in determination of cell fate and their contribution in malignant phenotype characteristics. Taken together, the current literature shows that these lncRNAs are putative targets for design of novel treatment strategies. Moreover, their expression levels in biopsied samples, exosomes, and sera of patients might be applied as diagnostic biomarkers or markers for patient follow-up.