Roles of long non-coding RNAs in oesophageal cancer pathogenesis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Esophageal cancer presents significant global health challenges with high morbidity and mortality.
• Current treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy often face therapeutic resistance, leading to poor outcomes.
• Understanding the disease pathophysiology and identifying early detection biomarkers are crucial for improving patient prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the biological and molecular mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in esophageal cancer.
• To explore the role of lncRNAs in tumor suppression and malignancy.
• To identify potential lncRNA candidates for esophageal cancer detection, prediction, and treatment.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing research on lncRNAs and esophageal cancer.
• Analysis of molecular mechanisms, including gene expression regulation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
• Extrapolation of potential lncRNA biomarkers based on current evidence.

Main Results:

• lncRNAs are aberrantly expressed in esophageal cancer and play roles in cell growth, apoptosis, and metastasis.
• lncRNAs can regulate the natural history of esophageal cancer, particularly through EMT.
• Several lncRNAs show potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets.

Conclusions:

• lncRNAs represent a promising area for advancing esophageal cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the potential and overcome the challenges of utilizing lncRNAs in clinical practice.
• lncRNAs may offer novel strategies for overcoming therapeutic resistance in esophageal cancer.