Emerging Roles of Long Non-coding RNAs as Novel Biomarkers in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Prostate Cancer.

New biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis are important in improving the diagnosis of metastatic or recurrent prostate cancer. Recent studies have shown important roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis. Here we provide a comprehensive review of lncRNAs implicated in prostate cancer and discuss their potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. In particular, we focus on lncRNAs associated with the androgen/androgen receptor pathway and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Notably, several lncRNAs such as PCA3, PCAT18, HOTAIR, and CCAT2 are prostate cancer-specific in that they are only upregulated in prostate cancer, and consequently they are promising biomarkers for use in clinical practice.