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Review

Long non-coding RNAs as key regulators of cancer metastasis

Pratirodh Koirala , De-Hong Zou , Yin-Yuan Mo 1,3
2
1
1 Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39201, USA.
2 Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, China.
3 Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39201, USA.
Correspondence to: Dr. Yin-Yuan Mo, Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39201,
USA. E-mail: ymo@umc.edu

Yin-Yuan Mo is Professor in the Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, Cancer Institute, at University of Mississippi
Medical Center. His research interests are epigenetic regulation of genes involved in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance,
cancer susceptibility due to alterations of microRNA expression, and lncRNA-mediated gene expression in cancer.

A B S T R AC T
The recent advances in functional genomics have discovered that a large number of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pervasively
transcribed from the human genome. Increasing evidence further indicates that lncRNAs are important for gene expression during cell
differentiation and development through various mechanisms such as nuclear organization, post-transcription regulation, alternative
splicing, and epigenetic regulation. Thus, aberrant expression of lncRNAs can cause abnormality in those cellular functions and lead to
various pathological conditions. One of such fatal consequences is cancer metastasis which is responsible for more than 90% of cancer-
related deaths. A good understanding of how lncRNAs regulate different genetic and epigenetic changes during different stages of cancer
metastasis is important not only for general cancer biology but also for identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for treatment
of metastatic cancer. A significant progress has been made regarding the role of lncRNAs in cancer for past several years. In this study, we
first discuss general functions of lncRNAs and then highlight recent findings of how lncRNAs impact cancer metastasis, and finally we
provide our perspectives on clinical implications of lncRNAs.

Key words: Cancer metastasis; epigenetics; gene regulation; long non-coding RNA

INTRODUCTION expression and functioning of protein in a different context.
The versatility and plasticity of non-coding RNAs help in
It is well-known now that protein-coding genes account only such programming of protein function by regulating their
about 2% of the human genome, whereas the vast majority expression and assembly in contextual cues. [3]
[1]
of the transcripts do not code for protein. Although these
[2]
non-coding RNAs were considered “transcriptional noise”, Non-coding RNAs include a broad category of RNA
their functions are increasingly valued for defining the molecules. Some of them are constitutively expressed in
cellular complexity of organisms. For instance, the number the cells, and they may play a housekeeping role such as
of protein-coding genes in humans is only a 2-fold more ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, small nuclear RNA, and
than that in worms such as Caenorhabditis elegans do, small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA). In contrast, other non-
[1]
implying that the protein alone is not sufficient to determine coding RNAs may be spatiotemporally expressed, and they
the complexity of organisms. Instead, this complexity may often play a regulatory role.
be achieved by efficient programming, which helps in handy
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How to cite this article: Koirala P, Zou DH, Mo YY. Long non-coding
DOI: RNAs as key regulators of cancer metastasis. J Cancer Metastasis
10.4103/2394-4722.171829 Treat 2016;2:1-10.
Received: 06-08-2015; Accepted: 25-11-2015.

© 2016 Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment ¦ Published by OAE Publishing Inc. 1