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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Dec 8, 2015; 7(28): 2781-2791
Published online Dec 8, 2015. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i28.2781
Long noncoding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: Novel insights into their mechanism
Yong-Ru Liu, Rui-Xue Tang, Wen-Ting Huang, Fang-Hui Ren, Rong-Quan He, Li-Hua Yang, Dian-Zhong Luo, Yi-Wu Dang, Gang Chen
Yong-Ru Liu, Rui-Xue Tang, Wen-Ting Huang, Fang-Hui Ren, Dian-Zhong Luo, Yi-Wu Dang, Gang Chen, Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Rong-Quan He, Li-Hua Yang, Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Author contributions: Liu YR, Tang RX, Huang WT, Ren FH, He RQ and Yang LH performed the literature search, wrote the first draft of the manuscript and approved the final version; Luo DZ, Dang YW and Chen G edited the final draft of the manuscript and approved the final version.
Supported by Partly Fund of Guangxi Provincial Health Bureau Scientific Research Project, No. Z2014054; Youth Science Foundation of Guangxi Medical University, No. GXMUYSF201311; Guangxi University Science and Technology Research Projects, No. LX2014075; Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi, Nos. 2015GXNSFBA139157, 2015GXNSFCA139009; and National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nos. NSFC81360327, NSFC81560489, NSFC81560469.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have not declared any conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Gang Chen, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. chen_gang_triones@163.com
Telephone: +86-771-5356534 Fax: +86-771-5358943
Received: April 30, 2015
Peer-review started: May 8, 2015
First decision: September 8, 2015
Revised: November 3, 2015
Accepted: November 24, 2015
Article in press: November 25, 2015
Published online: December 8, 2015
Processing time: 217 Days and 19.8 Hours
Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant subject of liver malignancies which arouse global concern. Advanced studies have found that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are differentially expressed in HCC and implicate they may play distinct roles in the pathogenesis and metastasis of HCC. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this review, we summarized the functions and mechanisms of those known aberrantly expressed lncRNAs identified in human HCC tissues. We hope to enlighten more comprehensive researches on the detailed mechanisms of lncRNAs and their application in clinic, such as being used as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and the targets for potential therapy. Although studies on lncRNAs in HCC are still deficient, an improved understanding of the roles played by lncRNAs in HCC will lead to a much more effective utilization of those lncRNAs as novel candidates in early detection, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of HCC.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Long noncoding RNA; Dysregulation; Mechanism; Pathway

Core tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global concern. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are likely to play crucial roles in various pathogenesis of HCC, including tumor growth, proliferation, invasion, metastasis and recurrence. Here, we focus on recent studies of human HCC associated lncRNAs and highlight their functions, mechanisms, as well as their potential to act as novel candidates for early detection, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of HCC.