Progress of Long Noncoding RNA HOTAIR in Human Cancer

Abstract

Long noncoding RNA(lnc RNA) play important roles in cancer progression. HOX transcript antisense RNA(HOTAIR) was observed upregulated in a variety of tumors. Over-expression of HOTAIR is a poor prognostic factor. HOTAIR interacts with Polycomb Repressive complex 2(PRC2), resulting in histone H3tri-methylated atlysine27(H3K27me3), which silences the expression of some down-stream genes, such as WIF-1,PTEN and p21, then mediated Wnt, Akt and p53 signaling pathways transduction. As a result, the properties of tumor, including invasion and metastasis, evading growth suppressors, resisting apoptosis and inducing angiogenesis would be affected. Thoroughly elucidate mechanisms of HOTAIR in cancer development will have important theoretical significance in cancer etiology and pathogenesis. As an important biomarker and potential target, HOTAIR may also has important clinical application in cancer's early diagnosis, therapeutic evaluation,prognosis, and even potential gene therapy.