Long Non-coding RNAs Expression in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among common cancers of the urogenital system. Several cancer-related pathways have been shown to be implicated in its pathogenesis. More recently, dysregulation of a group of non-coding RNAs named long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated in many cancer types such as RCC. LncRNAs have been classified to oncogenic and tumor suppressor lncRNAs based on the pattern of expression in RCC samples as well as functional in vitro studies. Expression of several oncogenic lncRNAs such as CCAT2, HOTAIR, UCA1, TUG1 and FTX in RCC samples has been shown to be associated with tumor size and tumor stage. In addition, expression levels of numerous lncRNAs have been demonstrated to be independent prognostic factors in RCC patients. Consequently, lncRNA signature would be applied as diagnostic or prognostic biomarker as well as target for treatment modalities.