role of long non-coding RNAs in ovarian cancer

Background: Ovarian cancer is the most fatal tumor of female's reproductive system, and several genetics and environmental factors are involved in its development. Various studies have already identified suitable biomarkers to facilitate the early detection, prognosis evaluation, and the assessment of treatment response. However, the aim of this review was to investigate the role of long non-coding RNAs [lncRNAs] in tumorigenesis process of ovarian cancer and their potential applications as ovarian cancer biomarkers

Methods: We performed an online literature search of the MEDLINE/PubMed databases using the key words ovarian cancer, lncRNA, and biomarker

Results: We found that several lncRNAs have been shown to be deregulated in ovarian cancer and the specific mechanism of their enrollment in ovarian cancer has been defined for a few of them. In addition, expression profiling has revealed an association between lncRNAs and patients' survival, metastasis potential as well as treatment response

Conclusions: Expression profiling as well as methylation analysis of lncRNAs in ovarian cancer may lead to the identification of novel biomarkers that can help in the classification of patients based on prognosis and treatment response

Expression Study and Clinical Correlations of MFC and CCAT2 in Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Colon cancer-associated transcript 2 [CCAT2] is a newly recognized IncRNA transcribed from the 8q24 genomic region. It functions as an oncogene in various types of cancers including breast cancer, in which it affects Wnt/p-catenin pathway. Previous studies have shown a putative interaction between this IncRNA and MYC proto-oncogene

Methods: In the current study, we evaluated the expression of CCAT2 in breast cancer tissues with regards to the expression of its target MYC. In addition, we assessed the relationship between CCAT2 and MYC expression levels in tumor tissues and the clinical prognostic characteristics of breast cancer patients

Results: MYC expression levels were significantly up-regulated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues [ANCTs], while such analysis showed no statistically significant difference between these two tissue types in CCAT2 expression. Starkly increased CCAT2 gene expression levels were found in 12/48 [25%] of cancer tissue samples compared with their corresponding ANCTs. Furthermore, significant inverse correlations were found between CCAT2 expression and stage, as well as lymph node involvement. Besides, a significant inverse correlation was found between the relative MYC expression in tumor tissues compared with their corresponding ANCTs and disease stage

Conclusions: These results highlight the significance of MYC and CCAT2 expressions in the early stages of breast cancer development and suggest a potentially significant role for CCAT2 in a subset of breast cancer patients, which could be applied as a potential therapeutic target in these patients