Small and long non-coding RNAs: Past, present, and future

Dual Roles of miR-10a-5p and miR-10b-5p as Tumor Suppressors and Oncogenes in Diverse Cancers

Cancer is a complex genetic disorder characterized by abnormalities in both coding and regulatory non-coding RNAs. microRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulatory non-coding RNAs that modulate cancer development, functioning as both tumor suppressors and oncogenes. miRNAs play critical roles in cancer progression, influencing key processes such as initiation, promotion, and metastasis. They exert their effects by targeting tumor suppressor genes, thereby facilitating cancer progression, while also inhibiting oncogenes to prevent further disease advancement. The miR-10 family, particularly miR-10a-5p and miR-10b-5p (miR-10a/b-5p), is notably involved in cancer progression. Intriguingly, their functions can differ across different cancers, sometimes promoting and at other times suppressing tumor growth depending on the cancer type and target genes. This review explores the dual roles of miR-10a/b-5p as tumor-suppressive miRNAs (TSmiRs) or oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs) in various cancers by examining their molecular and cellular mechanisms and their impact on the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of miR-10a/b-5p as therapeutic targets, emphasizing miRNA-based strategies for cancer treatment. The insights discussed in this review aim to advance our understanding of miR-10a/b-5p’s roles in tumor biology and their application in developing innovative cancer therapies.

lncRNA CHAF1B-2 contributes to the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Lnc-CHAF1B-2, a newly discovered long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), plays a significant role in the evolution and prognosis of diverse neoplasms. However, its role in the development of gastric cancer is not yet fully understood. Using bioinformatics analysis of gastric cancer RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we investigated the expression of lnc-CHAF1B-2 in gastric carcinoma and its associated molecular signalling pathways. Verification through an array of in vivo and in vitro experiments-namely, EdU incorporation, flow cytometry, trans-well migration and invasion assays, subcutaneous tumour formation in nude mice, and western blot analysis-was conducted. We revealed notable upregulation of lnc-CHAF1B-2 in gastric cancer tissues. Furthermore, a positive correlation was detected between lnc-CHAF1B-2 levels and the occurrence of distant metastases in patients, which was inversely related to their prognostic outlook and survival rates. Moreover, our findings confirmed that lnc-CHAF1B-2 enhanced the proliferation, invasion, and migration of gastric cancer cells while inhibiting apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, lnc-CHAF1B-2 promoted the progression of gastric cancer through activating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Thus, lnc-CHAF1B-2 and its regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway have emerged as prospective therapeutic targets in gastric cancer management.

LncRNAs chaperoning dynamic protein condensates in cancer cells

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Sun et al. reveal that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DNAJC3-AS1 plays a dual role in maintaining the rRNA processing function of fibrillarin (FBL) in cancer cells. It promotes FBL condensation while preventing abnormal aggregation, offering new therapeutic insights for cancer treatment by targeting lncRNAs involved in the regulation of FBL condensation.

From non-coding to coding: The importance of long non-coding RNA translation in de novo gene birth

Recent emerging evidence demonstrates that some long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can indeed be translated into functional polypeptides. These discoveries are pivotal for understanding de novo gene birth, the process by which new genes evolve from previously non-genic regions. In this review, we first introduce key methods, such as Ribo-seq and translation initiation site detection by translation complex analysis, for identifying coding sequences within lncRNAs and highlight examples of functional polypeptides derived from lncRNAs across species. These polypeptides play essential roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and contribute to pathological processes, including cancer. However, because not all lncRNA-derived polypeptides appear to be functional, these lncRNAs may act as gene reservoirs. We also discuss how lncRNAs change their intracellular localization, how lncRNA-derived polypeptides evade immune surveillance, and how they gradually evolve into typical coding RNAs, providing evidence for the evolutionary model of de novo gene birth.