Angiogenesis-related non-coding RNAs and gastrointestinal cancer

Zahra Sadat Razavi; Kasra Asgarpour; Maryam Mahjoubin-Tehran; Susan Rasouli; Haroon Khan; Mohammad Karim Shahrzad; Michael R Hamblin; Hamed Mirzaei

doi:10.1016/j.omto.2021.04.002

Angiogenesis-related non-coding RNAs and gastrointestinal cancer

Mol Ther Oncolytics. 2021 May 15:21:220-241. doi: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.04.002. eCollection 2021 Jun 25.

Authors

Zahra Sadat Razavi¹, Kasra Asgarpour², Maryam Mahjoubin-Tehran³, Susan Rasouli¹, Haroon Khan⁴, Mohammad Karim Shahrzad⁵, Michael R Hamblin⁶, Hamed Mirzaei⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
² Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan.
⁵ Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Shohadae Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁶ Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa.
⁷ Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.

Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are among the main reasons for cancer death globally. The deadliest types of GI cancer include colon, stomach, and liver cancers. Multiple lines of evidence have shown that angiogenesis has a key role in the growth and metastasis of all GI tumors. Abnormal angiogenesis also has a critical role in many non-malignant diseases. Therefore, angiogenesis is considered to be an important target for improved cancer treatment. Despite much research, the mechanisms governing angiogenesis are not completely understood. Recently, it has been shown that angiogenesis-related non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) could affect the development of angiogenesis in cancer cells and tumors. The broad family of ncRNAs, which include long non-coding RNAs, microRNAs, and circular RNAs, are related to the development, promotion, and metastasis of GI cancers, especially in angiogenesis. This review discusses the role of ncRNAs in mediating angiogenesis in various types of GI cancers and looks forward to the introduction of mimetics and antagonists as possible therapeutic agents.

Keywords: angiogenesis; circular RNAs; gastrointestinal cancers; long non-coding RNAs; microRNAs; non-coding RNAs.

Publication types

Review