Long Non-Coding RNAs: Promising Biomarkers for Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer

Oral cavity cancer (OCC) is a type of head and neck cancer (HNC) and ranks as the sixteenth most common malignancy globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately ۴ cases of lip and oral cavity cancer per ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ people worldwide, with squamous cell carcinomas comprising ۹۰% of these cases .Although epigenetic changes have been observed in oral cancer, only a few studies have explored the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this context. LncRNAs are a class of RNA molecules longer than ۲۰۰ nucleotides that do not encode proteins and they have subtypes including: intergenic lncRNA, intronic lncRNA, sense lncRNA and antisense lncRNA. They play crucial roles in epigenetic regulation, transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes, and the maintenance of normal tissue development and differentiation. Method: In our study, we conducted a narrative review of research focusing on the expression changes of lncRNAs in lip and oral cavity cancer by searching the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The search was conducted using specific keywords and related MeSH terms, including "therapeutic potential" , "long non-coding RNA" and "oral cancer". Result: The findings indicate that lncRNAs can be either overexpressed or downregulated during tumor development and this alteration in expression of lncRNA can be affected by the stage of the tumors. Studies show that lncRNAs like DNM۳OS, CCAT۱, and often H۱۹ are upregulated in oral cancer tissues and cells, whereas others like MEG۳,CASC۲ and PTCSC۳ are downregulated in comparison with normal tissuses. Conclusion: Surgical intervention remains the cornerstone of treatment for advanced oral cancer patients. For early-stage cases, external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy serve as the primary treatment modalities. However, some individuals may exhibit suboptimal responses to therapy due to drug resistance. Interestingly, numerous lncRNAs have been found to be abnormally expressed in OSCC cells and play a role in mediating chemoresistance. These lncRNAs achieve this by modulating the expression of specific target genes and influencing various biological processes within OSCC cells. This suggests that lncRNAs could potentially serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of oral cavity carcinomas, as well as molecular targets for therapy. Given the poor prognosis and often late diagnosis of oral cancers, modification of lncRNAs and targeted therapies hold promise for improving early detection and treatment.

کلیدواژه ها:

Lip and oral cavity cancer ، Oral squamous cell carcinoma ، long non-coding RNA ، Biomarker ، Drug resistance