Long Non-coding RNAs and Their Roles in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

摘要

As a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, lung cancer is a collection of diseases with diverse etiologies which can be broadly classified into small-cell lung cancer（SCLC） and non-small-cell lung cancer（NSCLC）. Lung cancer is characterized by genomic and epigenomic alterations; however, mechanisms underlying lung tumorigenesis remain to be elucidated. Long noncoding RNAs（lnc RNAs） are a group of non-coding RNAs that consist of P200 nucleotides but possess low or no protein-coding potential. Accumulating evidence indicates that abnormal expression of lnc RNAs is associated with tumorigenesis of various cancers, including lung cancer, through multiple biological mechanisms involving epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional alterations. In this review, we highlight the expression and roles of lnc RNAs in NSCLC and discuss their potential clinical applications as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets.