Novel sights on therapeutic, prognostic, and diagnostics aspects of non-coding RNAs in glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the primary brain tumor and accounts for 200,000 deaths each year worldwide. The standard therapy includes surgical resection followed by temozolomide (TMZ)-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The survival period of GBM patients is only 12-15 months. Therefore, novel treatment modalities for GBM treatment are urgently needed. Mounting evidence reveals that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) were involved in regulating gene expression, the pathophysiology of GBM, and enhancing therapeutic outcomes. The combinatory use of ncRNAs, chemotherapeutic drugs, and tumor suppressor gene expression induction might provide an innovative, alternative therapeutic approach for managing GBM. Studies have highlighted the role of Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in prognosis and diagnosis. Dysregulation of ncRNAs is observed in virtually all tumor types, including GBMs. Studies have also indicated the blood-brain barrier (BBB) as a crucial factor that hinders chemotherapy. Although several nanoparticle-mediated drug deliveries were degrading effectively against GBM in vitro conditions. However, the potential to cross the BBB and optimum delivery of oligonucleotide RNA into GBM cells in the brain is currently under intense clinical trials. Despite several advances in molecular pathogenesis, GBM remains resistant to chemo and radiotherapy. Targeted therapies have less clinical benefit due to high genetic heterogeneity and activation of alternative pathways. Thus, identifying GBM-specific prognostic pathways, essential genes, and genomic aberrations provide several potential benefits as subtypes of GBM. Also, these approaches will provide insights into new strategies to overcome the heterogenous nature of GBM, which will eventually lead to successful therapeutic interventions toward precision medicine and precision oncology.