CASC7: a LncRNA with potential clinical application

Abstract

Aim

To explore the novel lncRNA CASC7 and its potential clinical applications. Long non-coding RNAs (IncRNAs) are defined as non-coding genes with a length exceeding 200 nt. As transcripts of RNA polymerase Il, they have limited coding potential due to the lack of an open reading frame in the gene segment. Research has confirmed that lncRNAs are important biological factors that regulate many life processes in the human body through different mechanisms. This work focused on Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 7 (CASC7), a lncRNA with nuclear and cytoplasmic localization. Publicly available databases show that CASC7 is differentially expressed in human organs as well as in tumor tissues. A study confirmed that CASC7 is abnormally expressed in colorectal cancer, glioma, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and thyroid cancer. In male infertility, asthma and heart failure, it may also be a potential therapeutic target and promising biomarker. CASC7 mainly plays a biological effect through direct or indirect effects of promoting or inhibiting the expression of related genes. Currently, only few studies have assessed CASC7, and its mechanisms are not clear. The main purpose of this review was to examine CASC7 and its possible molecular mechanisms and clinical significance in cancer.

Conclusion

We reviewed the recent research progress of CASC7 and its potential as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target, and provide an outlook on its future application in terms of mechanism.

Key points

1. CASC7 is a novel lncRNA, for which there are few reports.

2. Aberrant expression of CASC7 may be associated with the emergence and treatment of many clinical diseases, including malignancy.

Keywords:

• LncRNA
• CASC7
• cancer
• clinical application

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

Author contributions

Tao Han wrote the manuscript.

Aijun Liao reviewed and edited the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China [No.2018JJ2356].

Notes on contributors

Tao Han

Tao Han is working at The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China. Han's research interests are in gastrointestinal tumors.

Aijun Liao

Aijun Liao is working at The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China. Liao's research interests are in gastrointestinal tumors.