Long Noncoding RNA LINC00092 Acts in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts to Drive Glycolysis and Progression of Ovarian Cancer.

The majority of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer are diagnosed at a late stage when the peritoneal metastases exist; however, there is little knowledge of the metastatic process in this disease setting. In this study, we report the identification of the long noncoding RNA LINC00092 as a nodal driver of metastatic progression mediated by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). Prometastatic properties of CAFs and were found to associate with elevated expression of the chemokine CXCL14.

LncRNAs: the bridge linking RNA and colorectal cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcribed by genomic regions (exceeding 200 nucleotides in length) that do not encode proteins. While the exquisite regulation of lncRNA transcription can provide signals of malignant transformation, lncRNAs control pleiotropic cancer phenotypes through interactions with other cellular molecules including DNA, protein, and RNA. Recent studies have demonstrated that dysregulation of lncRNAs is influential in proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, invasion, apoptosis, stemness, and genome instability in colorectal cancer (CRC), with consequent clinical implications.

Tumor microenvironment: The culprit for ovarian cancer metastasis?

Despite chemotherapy and surgical debulking options, ovarian cancer recurs and disseminates frequently, with poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ovarian cancer metastasis still remain unelucidated. The tumor microenvironment, consisting of stromal cells (including fibroblasts, macrophages, regulatory T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, endothelial cells, pericytes and platelets), the extracellular matrix component (EMC) (including inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, integrins, and other secreted molecules) and exosomes (small extracellular vesicles loaded with molecules), establishes an autocrine-paracrine communication circuit that reinforces invasion and cancer cell metastasis via reciprocal signaling.