摘要
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most common malignancies leading to high mortality rates in the general population and the sixth most common cancer worldwide. HCC is characterized by deregulation of multiple genes and signalling pathways. These genetic effects can involve both protein coding genes as well as non-coding RNA genes. Long noncoding RNAs(lnc RNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nt, constituting a subpopulation of nc RNAs. Their biological effects are not well understood comparedto small non-coding RNA(micro RNAs), but they have been recently recognized to exert a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression and modulation of signalling pathways. Notably, several studies indicated that lnc RNAs contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of HCC. Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying lnc RNAs expression opens potential applications in diagnosis and treatment of liver disease. This editorial provides three examples(MALAT-1 metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript, HULC highly upregulated in liver cancer and HOTAIR HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA) of well-known lnc RNAs upregulated in HCC, whose mechanisms of action are known, and for which therapeutic applications are delineated. Targeting of lnc RNAs using several approaches(siR NA-mediated silencing or changing their secondary structure) offers new possibility to treat HCC.
Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is one of the mostcommon malignancies leading to high mortalityrates in the general population and the sixth mostcommon cancer worldwide. HCC is characterized byderegulation of multiple genes and signalling pathways.These genetic effects can involve both protein codinggenes as well as non-coding RNA genes. Long noncodingRNAs （lncRNAs） are transcripts longer than200 nt, constituting a subpopulation of ncRNAs. Theirbiological effects are not well understood comparedto small non-coding RNA （microRNAs）, but they havebeen recently recognized to exert a crucial role inthe regulation of gene expression and modulationof signalling pathways. Notably, several studiesindicated that lncRNAs contribute to the pathogenesisand progression of HCC. Investigating the molecularmechanisms underlying lncRNAs expression openspotential applications in diagnosis and treatment of liverdisease. This editorial provides three examples （MALAT-1metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript,HULC highly upregulated in liver cancer and HOTAIRHOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA） of well-knownlncRNAs upregulated in HCC, whose mechanisms ofaction are known, and for which therapeutic applicationsare delineated. Targeting of lncRNAs using severalapproaches （siRNA-mediated silencing or changing theirsecondary structure） offers new possibility to treat HCC.
