non-coding rnas

Radiotherapy (RT) has been commonly applied to treat advanced local cancers. In radiation therapy, high doses of radiation are utilized to trigger cell death. Radiation often leads to DNA double-strand breakages (DSB), which causes the activation of downstream genes including those for non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) such as long non-coding and RNAsmicro RNAs. The consequence of RT significantly relies on the radiosensitivity of cancer cells, which is affected by multiple factors, including some proteins and cellular processes. Activation of these genes can cause cell cytotoxicity and indirectly damages the cells. Recent studies have shown that non-coding RNAs can play as radiosensitivity or radioinhibitory regulators in cancers by mechanisms such as cell cycle arrest or affecting the DNA damage repair systems. ncRNAs are also known to function as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes in colorectal cancer and therefore are considered potential diagnostic biomarkers in disease detection. For example, the investigations have shown that miR-29a and miR-224 can be informative biomarkers for early detection or screening of CRC via a noninvasive method such as liquid biopsy. Here, we discuss ncRNAs involved in the radioresistance and radiosensitivity of CRC and highlight their predictive clinical value in response to RT. Accordingly, this review represents a principal guide in the context of three major types of ncRNAs with potential roles in the pathway of radiosensitivity and radioresistance, including miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs which can be considered a precious archivement in organizing additional studies and broadening views in this area. Our findings can also assist radiotherapists in predicting CRC patients’ response and, therefore, prognosis to radiation therapy, although, to achieve our goals in the clinic, we certainly need further studies.

The pathophysiology and molecular pathways of breast cancer (BC) are still unclear, but it appears that BC is caused by the interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Epidemiology studies have shown the increase risk of BC through polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) exposure. Environmental carcinogens induce disease pathways by altering the expression of specific genes that may be a consequence of epigenetic modifications. In order to understand the effects of PAHs in the BC risk, the epigenetic pathway may consider as an important key and likely play a role in BC initiation. Novel epigenetic  biomarkers and treatments hold promise  in the approch of personalized medicine. Here, we focus to review the epigenetic factors in relation to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure that may influence BC risk.

The liver plays a principal role in the human body as a metabolic and detoxifying unit. Liver diseases are the world’s major health problems and affect millions of people worldwide. Early detection of liver diseases is certainly effective in timely treatment and prevention of their progression .Liver injury is associated with significant alterations in immune responses and pattern changes in various tissue-related gene expressions and cytokine production. Increasing or decreasing the specific spectrum of non-coding RNAs in different phases of liver disease can be a criterion for diagnosis. Novel diagnostic biomarkers are needed for liver diseases. Currently, micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are known to play important roles in the diagnosis of liver diseases. Circulating biomarkers such as miRNA-assisted diagnosis can conceivably be helpful for the early treatment of liver diseases. In this review, we look at miRNAs and their potential applications in liver diseases as diagnostic biomarkers were investigated.

 The association between the human chromosomal 8q24 region and cancer development remains dim. The proto-oncogene MYC is known as the most prominent target of this chromosomal region. However, numerous cancer-associated genetic alterations in the region extend beyond the MYC locus. Accordingly, it is likely that the MYC oncogene is not the only target of these carcinogenesis-related alterations.

 In the present study, the expression of MYC and the correlation between MYC and two non-coding RNAs, namely PVT1 (circular and linear forms) and CASC11, which are residents of the 8q24 region in the MYC neighborhood, were investigated in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

 Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess BCR-ABL transcripts and categorize positive and negative (normal) samples for CML. Afterward, real-time PCR was exploited to evaluate the expression of different genes, including MYC, linear PVT1, circular PVT (CircPVT1), CASC11, and ACTB in CML and normal samples.

 We found that the expression of linear PVT1 is significantly increased in CML compared with normal samples. However, CircPVT1, CASC11, and MYC did not show significantly altered expression between CML and normal groups. The experimental and in silico analyses of the correlation coefficients of gene expressions suggested changes in the correlations between the gene expressions in CML compared with normal samples. We also assessed the miR-trapping potential of PVT1 and CASC11 and the possible effects of these interactions on signaling pathways. Our findings indicated that these lncRNAs could have a possible regulatory link with critical pathways associated with leukemogenesis.

 Our results indicate that non-coding genes surrounding MYC within the 8q24 region might have regulatory roles in CML carcinogenesis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a subfamily of small noncoding RNAs that play a variety of roles in regulating gene expression in nearly all organisms. They affect different biological pathways by post-transcriptionally regulating mRNAs. Aside from miRNAs’  role in maintaining cellular homeostasis, their perturbation is related to several pathologic states and diseases. Cardiovascular disorders are considered some of the most mortal multifactorial diseases that are caused by the deregulation of network of genes and effects of environmental factors. In this review, we discuss the role of miRNAs  in cardiac homeostasis and malfunctions.

We reviewed published research on association and role of miRNAs  in cardiac development and diseases and investigated the possible links between regulatory miRNAs  and different cardiac disorders.

Research shows that manipulating miRNAs expression affects the integrity and functionality of the cardiovascular system. Moreover, deregulation of miRNAs, is observed in many cardiac diseases. These findings intensify the pivotal role of miRNAs in the development and specific pathological disorders of the cardiovascular system.

In this review, we summarized the latest findings on the involvement of miRNAs in cardiac development, and continued by their role in congenital heart diseases and rheumatic heart disease, which are some of the leading causes of infant death and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Considering the significance of miRNAs in cardiac homeostasis and malfunctions, they are considered as promising therapeutic targets in cardiovascular diseases.