Role of non-coding RNAs in radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer: A narrative review

Chun-Ming Huang; Hsiang-Lin Tsai; Yen-Cheng Chen; Ching-Wen Huang; Ching-Chun Li; Wei-Chih Su; Tsung-Kun Chang; Yung-Sung Yeh; Po-Jung Chen; Ming-Yii Huang; Jaw-Yuan Wang

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.889658

Role of non-coding RNAs in radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer: A narrative review

Front Oncol. 2022 Jul 22:12:889658. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.889658. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Chun-Ming Huang^{1

2

3

4}, Hsiang-Lin Tsai^{5

6}, Yen-Cheng Chen^{5

7}, Ching-Wen Huang^{5

6}, Ching-Chun Li⁵, Wei-Chih Su^{5

7}, Tsung-Kun Chang^{5

6}, Yung-Sung Yeh^{8

9

10}, Po-Jung Chen⁵, Ming-Yii Huang^{2

3

11}, Jaw-Yuan Wang^{4

5

6

7

11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
² Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁴ Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁵ Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁷ Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁸ Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹¹ Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
¹² Pingtung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Pingtung, Taiwan.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global public health concern because of its high prevalence and mortality. Although radiotherapy is a key method for treating CRC, radioresistance is an obstacle to radiotherapy use. The molecular mechanisms underlying the radioresistance of CRC remain unclear. Increasing evidence has revealed the multiple regulatory functions of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in numerous malignancies, including CRC. Several ncRNAs have been reported to be involved in the determination of radiosensitivity of CRC cells, and some have excellent potential to be prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets in CRC treatment. The present review discusses the biological functions and underlying mechanisms of ncRNAs (primarily lncRNA, miRNA, and circRNA) in the regulation of the radiosensitivity of CRC. We also evaluate studies that examined ncRNAs as biomarkers of response to radiation and as therapeutic targets for enhancing radiosensitivity.

Keywords: biomarkers; colorectal cancer; ncRNAs; radioresistance; radiosensitivity.

Publication types

Review