Regulatory Effect of Non-Coding RNAs on Programmed Cell Death in Melanoma: Novel Therapeutic Crosstalk for Targeted Therapy.

Abstract

Cutaneous melanoma, one of the most fatal and aggressive types of skin cancer, is a malignant tumor created from pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. The mor-bidity and incidence rate of melanoma are increasing around the world. Considering all developments in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, early diagnosis and more effective targeted therapies are still urgent for melanoma. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, are key role players in fundamental cellular pro-cesses and have various biological properties. It has been demonstrated that the dysregula-tion of these biomarkers contributes to melanoma pathogenesis. Furthermore, programmed cell death (PCD), as an important cellular event, has been shown to play a role in the initi-ation and progression of cutaneous melanoma. Recent investigations have reported that the interplay between ncRNAs and PCD can be considered a novel choice for targeted therapy in melanoma. Thus, this review discusses PCD-related ncRNAs in melanoma, focusing on underlying pathways.