Insights into how H19 works in glioma cells. A review article

Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain tumor and considered to be the most common primary one. Recurrence after treatment is a significant problem, with a survival rate after one year of about 39.7%. The recurrence of GBM is linked to different cellular pathways and molecular signaling. Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) comprises more than 200 nucleotides and is suggested to play a role in controlling genes that regulate the cell cycle, apoptosis and cellular growth in various tissues. Little is known about LncRNA compared to microRNAs, which are extensively studied in the literature. H19 is one of the most plentiful and conserved transcripts suggested to be involved in mammalian development and tumorigenesis. H19 is one of the LncRNA members transcribed by RNA polymerase II, spliced and polyadenylated, and the product is transferred to the cytoplasm without translation. HI9 maps to 1lp15, a region thought to be relevant to some childhood tumors as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and Wilm's Tumor. In these tumors, the analysis of the 11p15 locus showed loss of heterozygosity which is a feature associated with the tumor-suppressing activity. However, the role played by H19 in GBM is still enigmatic and needs further extensive evaluation. Uncovering the hidden role of such molecules in the pathogenesis in glioma will help tailor new targeted therapies that may affect the prognosis and survival of GBM.