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Review
. 2021 Oct 9;13(20):5040.
doi: 10.3390/cancers13205040.

(In)Distinctive Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Common and Rare Ovarian Cancers

Maja Sabol  1 , Jean Calleja-Agius  2 , Riccardo Di Fiore  2   3 , Sherif Suleiman  2 , Sureyya Ozcan  4   5 , Mark P Ward  6 , Petar Ozretić  1
Affiliations
Review

(In)Distinctive Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Common and Rare Ovarian Cancers

Maja Sabol et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Rare ovarian cancers (ROCs) are OCs with an annual incidence of fewer than 6 cases per 100,000 women. They affect women of all ages, but due to their low incidence and the potential clinical inexperience in management, there can be a delay in diagnosis, leading to a poor prognosis. The underlying causes for these tumors are varied, but generally, the tumors arise due to alterations in gene/protein expression in cellular processes that regulate normal proliferation and its checkpoints. Dysregulation of the cellular processes that lead to cancer includes gene mutations, epimutations, non-coding RNA (ncRNA) regulation, posttranscriptional and posttranslational modifications. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are defined as transcribed RNA molecules, more than 200 nucleotides in length which are not translated into proteins. They regulate gene expression through several mechanisms and therefore add another level of complexity to the regulatory mechanisms affecting tumor development. Since few studies have been performed on ROCs, in this review we summarize the mechanisms of action of lncRNA in OC, with an emphasis on ROCs.

Keywords: MALAT1; ceRNA; competing endogenous RNA; lncRNA-based therapy; lncRNAs; long non-coding RNAs; ovarian cancer biomarkers; rare ovarian cancers.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Categories of lncRNAs based on their location in respect to protein-coding genes. (A) Long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNA) are transcribed intergenically from both strands. (B) Sense intronic transcripts are located within introns of coding genes without intersecting with exons. (C) Sense overlapping transcripts overlap with the exons of coding genes on the same strand. (D) Antisense RNAs are located within the exons and introns of protein-coding genes but on the opposite strand. Created with BioRender.com.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Functional roles of lncRNAs. (A) As signal molecules, lncRNAs act either alone or in combination with proteins like transcription factors to mediate the transcription of downstream genes; (B) As decoys, lncRNAs either bind to functional proteins to block their activity or compete with mRNAs for binding to miRNAs to block their inhibitory effects on mRNAs; (C) As guides, lncRNAs carry and locate functional proteins in the target area to perform their functions; (D) As scaffolds, lncRNAs guide different types of macromolecules to assemble complexes and facilitate their interactions. Created with BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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