STAT3-related lncRNAs in colorectal cancer progression; Special focus on immune cell’s evasion

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is globally ranked as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women. There is an urgent need for novel biomarkers to facilitate early diagnosis and enhance patient care, thereby improving treatment response and reducing mortality rates. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is essential for controlling the anti-tumor immune response since it is a hub for several oncogenic signaling pathways. In the tumor environment, STAT3 is widely overactivated in both malignant and non-cancerous cells. It is involved in suppressing the expression of critical immune activation regulators and encouraging the synthesis of immunosuppressive substances. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a kind of non-coding RNA, are critical for CRC development, apoptosis, and metastasis because they influence important signaling pathways such as STAT3 signaling and contribute to gene regulation at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels. Moreover, lncRNAs have a significant role in modifying the TME and control the expression of important immunological checkpoints, such as PD-L1. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory roles of lncRNAs is crucial for identifying diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers for CRC. Thus, the objective of the present review study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the interaction between the STAT3 signaling pathway and various lncRNAs, as well as their implications for apoptosis, metastasis, and immune evasion in CRC.