Open Access

REVIEW

Novel insights on oral squamous cell carcinoma management using long non-coding RNAs

SUBHAYAN SUR^1,*, DIMPLE DAVRAY², SOUMYA BASU¹, SUPRIYA KHEUR³, JAYANTA KUMAR PAL¹, SHUCHI NAGAR², AVINASH SANAP³, BHIMAPPA M. RUDAGI³, SAMIR GUPTA⁴
1 Cancer and Translational Research Centre, Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Tathawade, Pune, 411033, India
2 Bioinformatics Centre, Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, 411033, India
3 Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, 411018, India
4 Department of Surgical Oncology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, 411018, India
* Corresponding Author: SUBHAYAN SUR. Email:

Oncology Research https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2024.052120

Received 23 March 2024; Accepted 11 June 2024; Published online 26 July 2024

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most prevalent forms of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) with a poor overall survival rate (about 50%), particularly in cases of metastasis. RNA-based cancer biomarkers are a relatively advanced concept, and non-coding RNAs currently have shown promising roles in the detection and treatment of various malignancies. This review underlines the function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the OSCC and its subsequent clinical implications. LncRNAs, a class of non-coding RNAs, are larger than 200 nucleotides and resemble mRNA in numerous ways. However, unlike mRNA, lncRNA regulates multiple druggable and non-druggable signaling molecules through simultaneous interaction with DNA, RNA, proteins, or microRNAs depending on concentration and localization in cells. Upregulation of oncogenic lncRNAs and down-regulation of tumor suppressor lncRNAs are evident in OSCC tissues and body fluids such as blood and saliva indicating their potential as valuable biomarkers. Targeted inhibition of candidate oncogenic lncRNAs or over-expression of tumor suppressor lncRNAs showed potential therapeutic roles in in-vivo animal models. The types of lncRNAs that are expressed differentially in OSCC tissue and bodily fluids have been systematically documented with specificity and sensitivity. This review thoroughly discusses the biological functions of such lncRNAs in OSCC cell survival, proliferation, invasion, migration, metastasis, angiogenesis, metabolism, epigenetic modification, tumor immune microenvironment, and drug resistance. Subsequently, we addressed the diagnostic and therapeutic importance of lncRNAs in OSCC pre-clinical and clinical systems, providing details on ongoing research and outlining potential future directions for advancements in this field. In essence, this review could be a valuable resource by offering comprehensive and current insights into lncRNAs in OSCC for researchers in fundamental and clinical domains.

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Keywords

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); Head and neck cancer; Non-coding RNA; Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA); Cancer diagnosis

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