High Positive Correlations between ANRIL and p16-CDKN2A/p15-CDKN2B/p14-ARF Gene Cluster Overexpression in Multi-Tumor Types Suggest Deregulated Activation of an ANRIL-ARF Bidirectional Promoter

Association of long non-coding RNAs and ABO blood groups with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Egyptian children

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most prevailing cancer among children. Despite extensive studies, ALL etiology is still an unsolved puzzle. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) emerged as key mediators in cancer etiology. Several lncRNAs are dysregulated in ALL, leading to oncogenic or tumor-suppressive activities. Additionally, a relation between ABO blood groups and hematological malignancies was proposed. The current study intended to explore the association of lncRNAs, ANRIL and LINC-PINT, and their downstream targets, CDKN2A and heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1), with the incidence of ALL and treatment response, and to determine the distribution of blood groups across different childhood ALL phenotypes. Blood samples were taken from 66 ALL patients (at diagnosis and at the end of remission induction phase) and 39 healthy children. Whole blood was used for blood group typing. Expression of ANRIL, LINC-PINT and CDKN2A was analyzed in plasma by qRT-PCR. Serum HMOX1 was measured using ELISA. ANRIL and CDKN2A were upregulated, while LINC-PINT and HMOX1 were downregulated in newly diagnosed patients. All of which showed remarkable diagnostic performance, where HMOX1 was superior. HMOX1 was independent predictor of ALL as well. LINC-PINT and HMOX1 were significantly upregulated after treatment. Notably, ANRIL and LINC-PINT were associated with poor outcome. No significant difference in the distribution of ABO blood groups was observed between patients and controls. In conclusion, our results suggested an association of ANRIL and LINC-PINT with childhood ALL predisposition, at least in part, through altering CDKN2A and HMOX1 production. Furthermore, the impact of remission induction treatment was newly revealed.

A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor 2A Gene as a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Colon Adenocarcinoma

Introduction Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) is a suppressor carcinogenic gene that is upregulated across various types of cancer including breast, liver, thyroid, and bile duct cancer due to its crucial role in cell cycle regulation and cell division. Nevertheless, it is mostly investigated at the genetic level, but it is still poorly studied on pan-cancer analysis as a biomarker and this study shows its significant potential diagnostic and prognostic characteristics. However, this study aims to investigate the role of CDKN2A as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker across various types of cancer focusing primarily on colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Methods We investigated CDKN2A gene expression in a pan-cancer analysis across different types of cancer to show its diagnostic potential characteristics by using various bioinformatic tools, including Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) 2.0, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), and University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN) database. TIMER was used to profile gene expression across 32 types of cancer composed of 10,000 RNA-seq samples obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and to analyze the tumor-infiltrating immune cells. In addition, GEPIA and UALCAN were further used to analyze gene expression, in terms of gene regulation, pathological stages, and clinical parameters, including gender, age, and race. Therefore, we used GEPIA, UALCAN, and Kaplan-Meier plotter particularly across adenocarcinoma to investigate CDKN2A prognosis by studying its high expression association with the patient's overall survival rate to show the tumor progression. Then, we looked into the genetic alteration of CDKN2A by using the cBio Cancer Genomics Portal (cBioPortal), including 10 pan-cancer studies. We concluded the analysis with gene validation by using a public cohort in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Results CDKN2A showed a trend of upregulation in most cancers and it was significantly upregulated in five cancers, which were commonly identifiable in three databases, including breast invasive carcinoma (p < 0.001), kidney chromophobe (p < 0.001), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (p < 0.001), kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (p < 0.001), and COAD (p < 0.001). The upregulation was significantly different in association with pathogenic stages II and III (pr(>F) = 0.00234) which was identifiable significantly in COAD more than in other cancers. The gene showed a high upregulation in association with poor prognosis of patient survival in three cancers, including COAD (log-rank p = 0.011), mesothelioma (log-rank p = 5.9e-07), and liver hepatocellular carcinoma (log-rank p = 0.0045). Therefore, COAD was the only comprehensively analyzed tumor to show a diagnostic and prognostic potential characteristic during high upregulation of CDKN2A. Furthermore, CDKN2A displayed a rare mutation in the form of deep deletion (9%) and revealed an upregulation associated with CD4+ T cells (p = 0.0108), macrophage (p = 0.0073), and neutrophils (p = 0.0272) as immune cells infiltrating COAD.  Conclusion Our study demonstrates the pan-cancer relevance of CDKN2A and revealed a novelty in showing CDKN2A underscores its potential as a diagnostic prognostic biomarker in COAD since CDKN2A is mostly studied at a genetic level across COAD.

Sex differences in the genetic and molecular mechanisms of coronary artery disease

Sex differences in coronary artery disease (CAD) presentation, risk factors and prognosis have been widely studied. Similarly, studies on atherosclerosis have shown prominent sex differences in plaque biology. Our understanding of the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms that drive these differences remains fragmented and largely understudied. Through reviewing genetic and epigenetic studies, we identified more than 40 sex-differential candidate genes (13 within known CAD loci) that may explain, at least in part, sex differences in vascular remodeling, lipid metabolism and endothelial dysfunction. Studies with transcriptomic and single-cell RNA sequencing data from atherosclerotic plaques highlight potential sex differences in smooth muscle cell and endothelial cell biology. Especially, phenotypic switching of smooth muscle cells seems to play a crucial role in female atherosclerosis. This matches the known sex differences in atherosclerotic phenotypes, with men being more prone to lipid-rich plaques, while women are more likely to develop fibrous plaques with endothelial dysfunction. To unravel the complex mechanisms that drive sex differences in CAD, increased statistical power and adjustments to study designs and analysis strategies are required. This entails increasing inclusion rates of women, performing well-defined sex-stratified analyses and the integration of multi-omics data.

Allelic and Genotypic Analysis of LncRNA ANRIL rs4977574 A/G Mutations in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: Insights into Tumor Characteristics and Genotypic Correlations

Aim

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) ANRIL and its genetic polymorphisms are shown to be associated with the risk of several cancers. However, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of lncRNA ANRIL are not thoroughly assessed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) which is the most prevalent cancer in the head and neck area. Thus, this study aimed to assess the association of SNP of lncRNA ANRIL rs4977574 in patients with OSCC.

Methods and Materials

106 blood samples from the patients with OSCC were obtained with a gender- and age-matched control group to evaluate the SNP of rs4977574 of lncRNA ANRIL. The DNA was extracted using the salt-out technique and DNA genotyping was undertaken using specific primer pairs in the tetra-primer ARMS-PCR technique. Eventually, the frequency of wild-type (A) and the mutated allele (G), as well as the genotypes were estimated between the groups of patients with OSCC and healthy individuals.

Results

The results of our study indicated no statistically significant difference in the frequency of rs4977574 A/G of lncRNA ANRIL among the patients with OSCC and healthy individuals (p > 0.05). Likewise, no significant difference was found in the genotypes' frequencies (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, the marked association of GG with smaller tumor size and the high level of differentiation of OSCC cells in the presence of AA or AG genotypes were interesting outcomes of this study (p < 0.05). Similarly, all the genotypes AA, AG, and GG were correlated with the site of the occurrence of OSCC. Furthermore, the association of the genotypes with the lymph node metastasis and the tumors stage was not found to be significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

The results of our study indicate that rs4977574 A/G and its genotypes do not have any direct correlation with the presence of OSCC; however, its association with the smaller tumor size and the level of the cancer cells differentiation could imply its possible indirect role.

The Long Non-Coding RNA ANRIL in Cancers

ANRIL (Antisense Noncoding RNA in the INK4 Locus), a long non-coding RNA encoded in the human chromosome 9p21 region, is a critical factor for regulating gene expression by interacting with multiple proteins and miRNAs. It has been found to play important roles in various cellular processes, including cell cycle control and proliferation. Dysregulation of ANRIL has been associated with several diseases like cancers and cardiovascular diseases, for instance. Understanding the oncogenic role of ANRIL and its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in cancer is crucial. This review provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms and oncogenic significance of the 9p21 locus and ANRIL in cancer.

ZMYND8 suppresses MAPT213 LncRNA transcription to promote neuronal differentiation

Zinc Finger transcription factors are crucial in modulating various cellular processes, including differentiation. Chromatin reader Zinc Finger MYND (Myeloid, Nervy, and DEAF-1) type containing 8 (ZMYND8), an All-Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA)-responsive gene, was previously shown to play a crucial role in promoting the expression of neuronal-lineage committed genes. Here, we report that ZMYND8 promotes neuronal differentiation by positively regulating canonical MAPT protein-coding gene isoform, a key player in the axonal development of neurons. Additionally, ZMYND8 modulates gene-isoform switching by epigenetically silencing key regulatory regions within the MAPT gene, thereby suppressing the expression of non-protein-coding isoforms such as MAPT213. Genetic deletion of ZMYND8 led to an increase in the MAPT213 that potentially suppressed the parental MAPT protein-coding transcript expression related to neuronal differentiation programs. In addition, ectopic expression of MAPT213 led to repression of MAPT protein-coding transcript. Similarly, ZMYND8-driven transcription regulation was also observed in other neuronal differentiation-promoting genes. Collectively our results elucidate a novel mechanism of ZMYND8-dependent transcription regulation of different neuronal lineage committing genes, including MAPT, to promote neural differentiation.

An Unanticipated Modulation of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors: The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs

It is now definitively established that a large part of the human genome is transcribed. However, only a scarce percentage of the transcriptome (about 1.2%) consists of RNAs that are translated into proteins, while the large majority of transcripts include a variety of RNA families with different dimensions and functions. Within this heterogeneous RNA world, a significant fraction consists of sequences with a length of more than 200 bases that form the so-called long non-coding RNA family. The functions of long non-coding RNAs range from the regulation of gene transcription to the changes in DNA topology and nucleosome modification and structural organization, to paraspeckle formation and cellular organelles maturation. This review is focused on the role of long non-coding RNAs as regulators of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors’ (CDKIs) levels and activities. Cyclin-dependent kinases are enzymes necessary for the tuned progression of the cell division cycle. The control of their activity takes place at various levels. Among these, interaction with CDKIs is a vital mechanism. Through CDKI modulation, long non-coding RNAs implement control over cellular physiology and are associated with numerous pathologies. However, although there are robust data in the literature, the role of long non-coding RNAs in the modulation of CDKIs appears to still be underestimated, as well as their importance in cell proliferation control.

The roles of long non-coding RNAs in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common malignancy, being a serious threat of human lives. The incidence and mortality of lung cancer has been increasing rapidly in the past decades. Although the development of new therapeutic modes, such as target therapy, the overall survival rate of lung cancer remains low. It is urgent to advance the understanding of molecular oncology and find novel biomarkers and targets for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic prediction of lung cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein coding RNA transcripts that are more than 200 nucleotides in length. LncRNAs exert diverse biological functions by regulating gene expressions at transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. In the past decade, it has been shown that lncRNAs are extensively involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including lung cancer. In this review, we highlighted the lncRNAs characterized in lung cancer and discussed their translational potential in lung cancer clinics.

Bidirectional promoters: an enigmatic genome architecture and their roles in cancers

Bidirectional promoters are the transcription regulatory regions of genes positioned head-to-head on opposite strands. Specific sequence signals, chromatin modifications and three-dimensional structures of the transcription site facilitate the unconventional yet tightly regulated transcription proceeding in both directions from these promoters. Mutations or aberrant epigenetic changes can lead to abnormal enhanced or reduced expression from either of the bidirectionally transcribed genes resulting in tumorigenesis. Moreover, bidirectionally transcribed genes might also contribute towards the immune regulation in tumor microenvironment. In this review, we aimed to expound the characteristic features of bidirectional promoters alongside their transcriptional regulations, and ultimately, the association of these enigmatic genomic elements in different cancers.

An interdependent network of functional enhancers regulates transcription and EZH2 loading at the INK4a/ARF locus

The INK4a/ARF locus encodes important cell-cycle regulators p14ARF, p15INK4b, and p16INK4a. The neighboring gene desert to this locus is the most reproducible GWAS hotspot that harbors one of the densest enhancer clusters in the genome. However, how multiple enhancers that overlap with GWAS variants regulate the INK4a/ARF locus is unknown, which is an important step in linking genetic variation with associated diseases. Here, we show that INK4a/ARF promoters interact with a subset of enhancers in the cluster, independent of their H3K27ac and eRNA levels. Interacting enhancers transcriptionally control each other and INK4a/ARF promoters over long distances as an interdependent single unit. The deletion of even a single interacting enhancer results in an unexpected collapse of the entire enhancer cluster and leads to EZH2 enrichment on promoters in an ANRIL-independent manner. Dysregulated genes genome-wide mimic 9p21-associated diseases under these scenarios. Our results highlight intricate dependencies of promoter-interacting enhancers on each other.

Unexplored regulatory sequences of divergently paired GLA and HNRNPH2 loci pertinent to Fabry disease in human kidney and skin cells: Presence of an active bidirectional promoter

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by a wide range of symptoms caused by a variety of mutations in the galactosidase α (GLA) gene. The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (HNRNPH2) gene is divergently paired with GLA on chromosome X and is thought to be implicated in FD. However, insufficient information is available on the regulatory mechanisms associated with the expression of HNRNPH2 and the GLA loci. Therefore, the current study performed bioinformatics analyses to assess the GLA and HNRNPH2 loci and investigate the regulatory mechanisms involved in the expression of each gene. The regulatory mechanisms underlying GLA and HNRNPH2 were revealed. The expression of each gene was associated with a bidirectional promoter (BDP) characterized by the absence of TATA box motifs and the presence of specific transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) and a CpG Island (CGI). The nuclear run-on transcription assay confirmed the activity of BDP GLA and HNRNPH2 transcription in 293T. Methylation-specific PCR analysis demonstrated a statistically significant variation in the DNA methylation pattern of BDP in several cell lines, including human adult epidermal keratinocytes (AEKs), human renal glomerular endothelial cells, human renal epithelial cells and 293T cells. The highest observed significance was demonstrated in AEKs (P<0.05). The results of the chromatin-immunoprecipitation assay using 293T cells identified specific TFBS motifs for Yin Yang 1 and nuclear respiratory factor 1 transcription factors in BDPs. The National Center for Biotechnology Information-single nucleotide polymorphism database revealed pathogenic variants in the BDP sequence. Additionally, a previously reported variant associated with a severe heterozygous female case of GLA FD was mapped in BDP. The results of the present study suggested that the expression of the divergent paired loci, GLA and HNRNPH2, were controlled by BDP. Mutations in BDP may also serve a role in FD and may explain clinical disease diversity.

Low expression of long non-coding RNA ARAP1-AS1 can inhibit lung cancer proliferation by inducing G0/G1 cell cycle organization

Background

This paper examines the expression, function, and molecular mechanism of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) ARAP1 antisense RNA 1 (ARAP1-AS1) in lung cancer. Specifically, it aims to clarify the molecular mechanism of lncRNA ARAP1-AS1 that affects the occurrence and development of lung cancer, and provide a theoretical basis and molecular targets for targeted therapy or early diagnosis of lung cancer.

Methods

Fluorescence quantitative detection of lncRNA ARAP1-AS1 expression in lung cancer tissues and cell lines, and methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium (MTT), plate cloning experiment, and flow cytometry were used to detect the effect of knockdown of lncRNA ARAP1-AS1 on cell proliferation, clone formation, and the cell cycle, respectively. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of cell cycle-related proteins as well as the effect of knockdown of lncRNA ARAP1-AS1 on lung cancer. Cell proliferation was assessed by a nude mouse subcutaneous tumor formation experiment.

Results

LncRNA ARAP1-AS1 is highly expressed in lung cancer tissues and cells. Knockdown of LncRNA ARAP1-AS1 can significantly inhibit the proliferation and clonal formation of lung cancer cells and induce G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Knockdown of ARAP1-AS1 can markedly inhibit the expression of cell cycle-related protein cyclin D1, but has no significant effect on the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4 and CDK6. Furthermore, knockdown of ARAP1-AS1 can also notably inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells and substantially reduce the expression of Ki-67 in tumor-bearing tissues in nude mice.

Conclusions

LncRNA ARAP1-AS1 is highly expressed in lung cancer. Knocking down of this gene can significantly inhibit cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and can also cause G0/G1 cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the expression of cyclin D1.

Integrative in silico and in vitro transcriptomics analysis revealed new lncRNAs related to intrinsic apoptotic genes in colorectal cancer

Background

Pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is connected to deregulation of apoptosis while the effect of lncRNAs, as critical regulatory molecules, on this pathway is not clear well. The present study aimed to identify differential expression of genes and their related lncRNAs which are significantly associated with intrinsic apoptotic pathway in CRC.

Methods

The connection between CRC and apoptosis was investigated by literature reviews and the genes were enriched by using Enrichr. At the next step, differential expression of enriched genes were evaluated between normal and tumor populations in data sets and were downloaded from GEO. Then, meta-analysis and probe re-annotation were performed. For lncRNAs selection through the highest expression correlation with each of candidate genes, mRNA-lncRNA interaction of screened genes and all of lncRNAs were visualized using Cytoscape. Identified differential expression genes and lncRNAs were validated using TCGA-COAD and the obtained data were confirmed by in vitro studies in the presence of Ag@Glu-TSC nanoparticle as an apoptotic inducer. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction effect of Ag@Glu-TSC on Caco-2 cells was determined via MTT and Annexin V/PI, respectively. The expression of genes and lncRNAs were assayed in presence of mentioned nanoparticle. Finally, the expression level of desired genes and lncRNAs were proven in CRC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues.

Results

After detection of 48 genes associated with intrinsic apoptosis in CRC according to literature, Enrichr screened 12 common genes involved in this pathway. Among them, 6 genes including BCL2, BCL2L11, BAD, CASP7, CASP9, and CYCS expression reduced in tumor tissue compared to normal according to meta-analysis studies and RNA-seq TCGA data. Afterwards, association of 8 lncRNAs comprising CDKN2B-AS1, LOC102724156, HAGLR, ABCC13, LOC101929340, LINC00675, FAM120AOS, PDCD4-AS1 with more than 5 candidate genes were identified. In vitro studies revealed that four selected lncRNAs including, CDKN2B-AS1, LOC102724156, HAGLR and FAM120AOS were significantly increased in the presence of in optimum concentration of Ag@Glu/TSC and decreased in tumor tissues versus adjacent normal tissues.

Conclusion

This study developed a new data mining method to screen differentially expressed lncRNAs which are involved in regulation of intrinsic apoptosis pathway in CRC quickly using published gene expression profiling microarrays. Moreover, we could validate a number of these regulators in the cellular and laboratory disease models.

Circular ANRIL isoforms switch from repressors to activators of p15/CDKN2B expression during RAF1 oncogene-induced senescence

Long non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are major regulators of gene expression and cell fate. The INK4 locus encodes the tumour suppressor proteins p15^INK4b, p16^INK4a and p14^ARF required for cell cycle arrest and whose expression increases during senescence. ANRIL is a ncRNA antisense to the p15 gene. In proliferative cells, ANRIL prevents senescence by repressing INK4 genes through the recruitment of Polycomb-group proteins. In models of replicative and RASval12 oncogene-induced senescence (OIS), the expression of ANRIL and Polycomb proteins decreases, thus allowing INK4 derepression. Here, we found in a model of RAF1 OIS that ANRIL expression rather increases, due in particular to an increased stability. This led us to search for circular ANRIL isoforms, as circular RNAs are rather stable species. We found that the expression of two circular ANRIL increases in several OIS models (RAF1, MEK1 and BRAF). In proliferative cells, they repress p15 expression, while in RAF1 OIS, they promote full induction of p15, p16 and p14^ARF expression. Further analysis of one of these circular ANRIL shows that it interacts with Polycomb proteins and decreases EZH2 Polycomb protein localization and H3K27me3 at the p15 and p16 promoters, respectively. We propose that changes in the ratio between Polycomb proteins and circular ANRIL isoforms allow these isoforms to switch from repressors of p15 gene to activators of all INK4 genes in RAF1 OIS. Our data reveal that regulation of ANRIL expression depends on the senescence inducer and underline the importance of circular ANRIL in the regulation of INK4 gene expression and senescence.

Exosomal Long Non-Coding RNAs in Lung Diseases

Within the non-coding genome landscape, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their secretion within exosomes are a window that could further explain the regulation, the sustaining, and the spread of lung diseases. We present here a compilation of the current knowledge on lncRNAs commonly found in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), or lung cancers. We built interaction networks describing the mechanisms of action for COPD, asthma, and IPF, as well as private networks for H19, MALAT1, MEG3, FENDRR, CDKN2B-AS1, TUG1, HOTAIR, and GAS5 lncRNAs in lung cancers. We identified five signaling pathways targeted by these eight lncRNAs over the lung diseases mentioned above. These lncRNAs were involved in ten treatment resistances in lung cancers, with HOTAIR being itself described in seven resistances. Besides, five of them were previously described as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of asthma, COPD, and lung cancers. Additionally, we describe the exosomal-based studies on H19, MALAT1, HOTAIR, GAS5, UCA1, lnc-MMP2-2, GAPLINC, TBILA, AGAP2-AS1, and SOX2-OT. This review concludes on the need for additional studies describing the lncRNA mechanisms of action and confirming their potential as biomarkers, as well as their involvement in resistance to treatment, especially in non-cancerous lung diseases.

The Challenges and Opportunities of LncRNAs in Ovarian Cancer Research and Clinical Use

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies worldwide because it tends to be detected late, when the disease has already spread, and prognosis is poor. In this review we aim to highlight the importance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment choice, to make progress towards increasingly personalized medicine in this malignancy. We review the effects of lncRNAs associated with ovarian cancer in the context of cancer hallmarks. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms by which lncRNAs become involved in cellular physiology; the onset, development and progression of ovarian cancer; and lncRNAs' regulatory mechanisms at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational stages of gene expression. Finally, we compile a series of online resources useful for the study of lncRNAs, especially in the context of ovarian cancer. Future work required in the field is also discussed along with some concluding remarks.

Non-Coding RNA and Tumor Development in Neurofibromatosis Type 1: ANRIL Rs2151280 Is Associated with Optic Glioma Development and a Mild Phenotype in Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Patients

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are known to regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, chromatin remodeling, and signal transduction. The identification of different species of ncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs)-and in some cases, their combined regulatory function on specific target genes-may help to elucidate their role in biological processes. NcRNAs' deregulation has an impact on the impairment of physiological programs, driving cells in cancer development. We here carried out a review of literature concerning the implication of ncRNAs on tumor development in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), an inherited tumor predisposition syndrome. A number of miRNAs and a lncRNA has been implicated in NF1-associated tumors, such as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) and astrocytoma, as well as in the pathognomonic neurofibromas. Some authors reported that the lncRNA ANRIL was deregulated in the blood of NF1 patients with plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs), even if its role should be further elucidated. We here provided original data concerning the association of a specific genotype about ANRIL rs2151280 with the presence of optic gliomas and a mild expression of the NF1 phenotype. We also detected the LOH of ANRIL in different tumors from NF1 patients, supporting the involvement of ANRIL in some NF1-associated tumors. Our results suggest that ANRIL rs2151280 may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker, addressing early diagnosis of optic glioma and predicting the phenotype severity in NF1 patients.