Long Noncoding RNA UCA1 in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Molecular Regulatory Roles and Patterns, Mechanisms, and Interactions.

The rising trend of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer has become a global burden due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been reported to be overexpressed in different GI cancers and may contribute to cancer progression and chemoresistance. They are featured with more than 200 nucleotides, commonly polyadenylated, and lacking an open reading frame. LncRNAs, particularly urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1), are oncogenes involved in regulating cancer progression, such as cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and chemoresistance, particularly in GI cancer. This review was aimed to present an updated focus on the molecular regulatory roles and patterns of lncRNA UCA1 in progression and chemoresistance of different GI cancers, as well as deciphering the underlying mechanisms and its interactions with key molecules involved, together with a brief presentation on its diagnostic and prognostic values. The regulatory roles of lncRNA UCA1 are implicated in esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, hepatobiliary cancer, and colorectal cancer, where they shared similar molecular mechanisms in regulating cancer phenotypes and chemoresistance. Comparatively, gastric cancer is the most intensively studied type in GI cancer. LncRNA UCA1 is implicated in biological roles of different GI cancers via interactions with various molecules, particularly microRNAs, and signaling pathways. In conclusion, lncRNA UCA1 is a potential molecular target for GI cancer, which may lead to the development of a novel chemotherapeutic agent. Hence, it also acts as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for GI cancer patients.

Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth Stem Cells: Features and Therapeutic Effects on Neurogenerative and Hepatobiliary-pancreatic Diseases.

Stem cells can multiply into more cells with similar types in an undifferentiated form and differentiate into other types of cells. The great success and key essence of stem cell technology is the isolation of high-quality Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) with high potency, either with multipotent or pluripotent property. In this line, Stem cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are highly proliferative stem cells from dental pulp and have multipoint differentiation capacity. These cells play a pivotal role in regenerative medicine, such as cell repair associated with neurodegenerative, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases. In addition, stem cell therapy has been widely used to regulate immune response and repair of tissue lesions. This overview captured the differential biological characteristics, and the potential role of stem cell technology and paid special attention to human welfare SHEDs in eliminating the above-mentioned diseases. This review provides further insights into stem cell technology by expanding the therapeutic potential of SHEDs in tissue engineering and cell organ repairs.