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Cells
Special Issues
Non-Coding and Coding RNAs in Targeted Cancer Therapy
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Non-Coding and Coding RNAs in Targeted Cancer Therapy

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell and Gene Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1612

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. César López-Camarillo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, CDMX 03100, Mexico
Interests: microRNAs; lncRNAs; circRNAs; proteins; cancers; novel therapeutic targets; tumorigenesis; nutrigenomics; 3D cultures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Macrina B. Silva-Cázares

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Coordinación Académica Región Altiplano, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Matehuala, México
Interests: cancer therapy; microRNAs; lncRNAs; circRNAs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many novel types of RNAs that are not translated into proteins have been detected and are transcribed from poorly characterized genomic regions. These regulatory RNAs have been denoted as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are widely classified into four categories: (i) long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), (ii) microRNAs (miRNAs), (iii) piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and (iv) circular RNAs (circRNAs). The ncRNAs have essential functions in maintaining cellular functions and the tissue's homeostasis. Nevertheless, it has been documented that regular expression of ncRNAs is frequently altered in human cancers. Therefore, they are involved in tumor initiation and progression, influencing the oncologic patients' prognosis and clinical outcomes. High-throughput and genomics technologies could massively detect and quantify the ncRNA populations, which could be visualized through interaction networks (lncRNAs/microRNAs/mRNAs). This represents an invaluable advancement in identifying the cellular processes in which these molecules are involved and related to cancer progression, which could be potentially druggable.

This Special Issue aims to collate original research and review articles that cover recent advances in understanding the role of regulatory ncRNAs, including microRNAs, lncRNAs, ceRNAs, and circular RNAs, in the mechanisms of cancer development and progression. Studies focused on the bioinformatic and functional characterizations of novel ncRNAs as potential biomarkers and describing ncRNA-based therapeutic approaches for targeting genes involved in cancer are especially welcome.

The topics to be covered in this collection include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Expression profiling of non-coding RNAs in cancer;
  • Molecular mechanisms modulated by ncRNAs in human malignancies;
  • Studies focused on the signaling pathways associated with ncRNA functions;
  • Novel 3D cell cultures and organoid models for the analysis of ncRNAs;
  • Role of ncRNAs in clinical resistance to chemo/radiotherapy in cancer;
  • Applications of the system biology and bioinformatic tools in the prediction and validation of lncRNAs/microRNAs/mRNA interaction networks.

Prof. Dr. César López-Camarillo
Dr. Macrina B. Silva-Cázares
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gene expression
  • non-coding RNAs
  • lncRNAs
  • microRNAs
  • piwi-associated RNA
  • circular RNAs
  • therapeutic targets

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3340 KiB  
Article
Let-7 Family microRNAs Regulate the Expression of the Urokinase-Receptor in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells
by Anna Li Santi, Mariaevelina Alfieri, Luigia Meo and Pia Ragno
Cells 2025, 14(9), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14090623 - 22 Apr 2025
Viewed by 218
Abstract
The urokinase-receptor (uPAR) exerts multiple functions supporting most cancer hallmarks. Increased uPAR expression is associated with an unfavorable prognosis in several cancer types, including hematologic malignancies. We previously reported that three oncosuppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) can target the 3′untranslated region (3′UTR) of the uPAR [...] Read more.
The urokinase-receptor (uPAR) exerts multiple functions supporting most cancer hallmarks. Increased uPAR expression is associated with an unfavorable prognosis in several cancer types, including hematologic malignancies. We previously reported that three oncosuppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) can target the 3′untranslated region (3′UTR) of the uPAR mRNA and that uPAR mRNA is a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) able to recruit oncosuppressor miRs, thus impairing their activity. We now show that uPAR mRNA can also be targeted by oncosuppressor members of the let-7 miRNA family in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines. Indeed, let-7a, let7d and let-7g directly target the 3′UTR of uPAR mRNA, thus down-regulating uPAR expression. These let-7 miRNAs are expressed in KG1 and U937 AML cells; their levels are high in KG1 cells, which express low uPAR levels, and low in the U937 cell line, expressing high levels of uPAR. Overexpression of these miRNAs down-regulates uPAR expression and impairs the adhesion to fibronectin and migration of U937 cells, without affecting their proliferation. Accordingly, the overexpression of specific inhibitors targeting these let-7 miRNAs efficiently increases uPAR expression in KG1 cells. These results indicate that selected let-7 miRNAs regulate uPAR expression and impair the adhesion and migration of AML cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding and Coding RNAs in Targeted Cancer Therapy)
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24 pages, 7743 KiB  
Article
HOTAIR Participation in Glycolysis and Glutaminolysis Through Lactate and Glutamate Production in Colorectal Cancer
by Laura Cecilia Flores-García, Verónica García-Castillo, Eduardo Pérez-Toledo, Samuel Trujano-Camacho, Oliver Millán-Catalán, Eloy Andrés Pérez-Yepez, Jossimar Coronel-Hernández, Mauricio Rodríguez-Dorantes, Nadia Jacobo-Herrera and Carlos Pérez-Plasencia
Cells 2025, 14(5), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14050388 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 865
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming plays a crucial role in cancer biology and the mechanisms underlying its regulation represent a promising study area. In this regard, the discovery of non-coding RNAs opened a new regulatory landscape, which is in the early stages of investigation. Using a [...] Read more.
Metabolic reprogramming plays a crucial role in cancer biology and the mechanisms underlying its regulation represent a promising study area. In this regard, the discovery of non-coding RNAs opened a new regulatory landscape, which is in the early stages of investigation. Using a differential expression model of HOTAIR, we evaluated the expression level of metabolic enzymes, as well as the metabolites produced by glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Our results demonstrated the regulatory effect of HOTAIR on the expression of glycolysis and glutaminolysis enzymes in colorectal cancer cells. Specifically, through the overexpression and inhibition of HOTAIR, we determined its influence on the expression of the enzymes PFKFB4, PGK1, LDHA, SLC1A5, GLUD1, and GOT1, which had a direct impact on lactate and glutamate production. These findings indicate that HOTAIR plays a significant role in producing “oncometabolites” essential to maintaining the bioenergetics and biomass necessary for tumor cell survival by regulating glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding and Coding RNAs in Targeted Cancer Therapy)
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Review

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18 pages, 2372 KiB  
Review
LncRNAs Regulate Vasculogenic Mimicry in Human Cancers
by Eloísa Ibarra-Sierra, Mercedes Bermúdez, Carlos Esteban Villegas-Mercado, Macrina B. Silva-Cázares and César López-Camarillo
Cells 2025, 14(8), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14080616 - 20 Apr 2025
Viewed by 228
Abstract
Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) has recently been discovered as an alternative mechanism for nourishing cancer cells in vivo. During VM, tumor cells align and organize themselves into three-dimensional (3D) channel-like structures to transport nutrients and oxygen to the internal layers of tumors. This mechanism [...] Read more.
Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) has recently been discovered as an alternative mechanism for nourishing cancer cells in vivo. During VM, tumor cells align and organize themselves into three-dimensional (3D) channel-like structures to transport nutrients and oxygen to the internal layers of tumors. This mechanism mainly occurs in aggressive solid tumors and has been associated with poor prognosis in oncologic patients. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential regulators of protein-encoding genes involved in cancer development and progression. These single-stranded RNA molecules regulate critical cellular functions in cancer cells including cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, VM, therapy response, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Recently, high-throughput RNA-sequencing technologies have identified thousands of lncRNAs, but only a small percentage of them have been functionally characterized in human cancers. The vast amount of data about its genomic expression in tumors can allow us to dissect their functions in cancer biology and make them suitable biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. In this study, we reviewed the current knowledge about the role of lncRNAs in regulating VM in cancer. We also examined the molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs and highlight several commonalities in the cellular functions associated with VM between diverse cancer types. Future directions for research focused on deciphering their function in VM are delineated. Finally, the potential of selected lncRNAs as novel therapeutic targets in RNA-based molecular interventions is also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding and Coding RNAs in Targeted Cancer Therapy)
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