Advances in Understanding the LncRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Hippo Pathway in Cancer

Onco Targets Ther. 2021 Apr 7:14:2397-2415. doi: 10.2147/OTT.S283157. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules that are longer than 200 nucleotides and cannot encode proteins. Over the past decade, lncRNAs have been defined as regulatory elements of multiple biological processes, and their aberrant expression contributes to the development and progression of various malignancies. Recent studies have shown that lncRNAs are involved in key cancer-related signaling pathways, including the Hippo signaling pathway, which plays a prominent role in controlling organ size and tissue homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. However, dysregulation of this pathway is associated with pathological conditions, especially cancer. Accumulating evidence has revealed that lncRNAs can modulate the Hippo signaling pathway in cancer. In this review, we elaborate on the role of the Hippo signaling pathway and the advances in the understanding of its lncRNA-mediated regulation in cancer. This review provides additional insight into carcinogenesis and will be of great clinical value for developing novel early detection and treatment strategies for this deadly disease.

Keywords: Hippo pathway; cancer; lncRNAs; prognosis; tumorigenesis.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81672307, 81871871), Key Research and Development plan (Social development) of science and technology department of Jiangsu Province (No.BE2019760) and the Medical Innovation Team Foundation of the Jiangsu Provincial Enhancement Health Project (No. CXTDA2017021).