INTERPLAY OF LNCRNAS, METABOLIC CELL DEATH, AND IMMUNE MICROENVIRONMENT IN GENITOURINARY MALIGNANCIES

Genitourinary cancers, including prostate, bladder, and renal cancers, represent a significant global health burden due to their high prevalence and resistance to conventional therapies. A critical aspect of cancer progression is metabolic reprogramming, which not only fuels uncontrolled growth but also profoundly influences programmed cell death pathways and the tumor immune microenvironment. This review synthesizes current research on the intricate roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in modulating three emerging forms of regulated cell death - cuproptosis, ferroptosis, and disulfidptosis - within the context of genitourinary malignancies. We discuss how specific lncRNA signatures are implicated in the regulation of these metabolic cell death pathways, affecting cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, we explore the compelling association between these lncRNA expression patterns and the characteristics of the tumor immune microenvironment, highlighting their potential as prognostic biomarkers and indicators for stratifying patient responses to immunotherapy. The evidence presented underscores the multifaceted functions of lncRNAs in cancer metabolism and immunity, positioning them as promising therapeutic targets and informative biomarkers for precision oncology in genitourinary cancers.