Review Article

A Systematic Review of Long Noncoding RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Molecular Mechanism and Clinical Implications

Table 1

Mechanisms and biological functions of upregulated LncRNAs in HCC.

lncRNAFull nameMechanismFunctionReferences

HULCHighly upregulated in liver cancerDownregulating miR-372 and miR-186; downregulating p18, SPHK1, and ZEB1; activating USP22/COX-2 axis and USP22/Sirt1 axis; upregulating HMGA2Proliferation(+), EMT(+), angiogenesis(+), metastasis(+), autophagy(+), chemoresistance(+)[13, 14, 1821, 85, 86]

HOTAIRHOX transcript antisense RNADownregulating RBM38, miR-1, miRNA-218, SETD2, SUZ12, and ZNF198; activating P14, P16, GLUT1, MMP9, VEGF, ATG3, and ATG7Proliferation(+), migration(+), invasion(+), glucose metabolism(+), autophagy(+) [2530, 33, 38, 39, 87]

MALAT1Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1HIF-2α-MALAT1-miR-216b axis; MALAT1/miR-143-3p/ZEB1 axis; MALAT1-miR-195-EGFR axis; HBx-MALAT1/LTBP3 axis; upregulating HIF-1α, Wnt/β-catenin pathway, SRSF1, and mTOR pathwayProliferation(+), migration(+), invasion(+), chemoresistance(+), autophagy(+), metastasis(+)[42, 4451]

HOTTIPHOXA transcript at the distal tipmiR-125b/HOTTIP axis; miR-192/-204-HOTTIP axisMetastasis(+), proliferation(+) [5254]

MVIHMicrovascular invasion in HCCDownregulating miR-199aAngiogenesis(+)[55, 56]

PVT1Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1PVT1/NOP2 axis;
PVT1/EZH2/miR-214 axis
Proliferation(+),
cancer cell stemness(+)
[5861]

UCA1Urothelial carcinoma associated-1UCA1/miR-203/Snail2 axis; HBx-UCA1/EZH2-p27Kip1 axis;
UCA1-miR-216b-FGFR1-ERK axis
Proliferation(+), invasion(+), EMT(+)[8891]

ATBActivated by TGF-βATB/miR-200/ZEB1-ZEB2 axisEMT(+), invasion(+), metastasis(+)[9294]

Linc-RORLincRNA regulator of reprogrammingDownregulating miR-145–HIF-1αChemoresistance(+), EMT(+), invasion(+), metastasis(+)[9597]

VLDLRVery low density lipoprotein receptorDownregulating ABCG2Chemoresistance(+) [98]

CCAT1Colon cancer associated transcript 1Downregulating let-7Proliferation(+), migration(+), invasion(+)[99]

Linc00974Long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA 974Upregulating KRT19, Notch, and TGF-β signalingProliferation(+), metastasis(+)[100]

HNF1A-AS1HNF1A antisense RNA 1HNF1A-AS1-miR-30b axis;
downregulating NKD1 and p21
Apoptosis(−), autophagy(+), proliferation(+)[101, 102]

HEIHHighly expressed in HCCUpregulating EZH2Proliferation(+), invasion(+)[85, 103]

HBx-LINE1Fusion of the human cellular long interspersed nuclear elements and HBxDownregulating miR-122;
upregulating Wnt signaling
EMT(+), invasion(+), metastasis(+)[104, 105]

LncTCF7 (WSPAR)WNT signaling pathway activating noncoding RNAUpregulating Wnt signalingEMT(+), invasion(+), metastasis(+), cancer stem cell self-renewal(+) [106]

DANCRDifferentiation antagonizing non-protein-coding RNADownregulating CTNNB1Cancer cell stemness(+)[107, 108]

BANCRBRAF-regulated lncRNA 1Activating MEKInvasion(+), metastasis(+) [109]

ZEB1-AS1ZEB1 antisense RNA 1Upregulating ZEB1EMT(+), invasion(+), metastasis(+), proliferation(+)[110]

DBH-AS1DBH antisense RNA 1Activating MAPK signaling;
upregulation of CDK6, CCND1, and CCNE1; downregulating p16, p21, and p27
Proliferation(+)[111]

TUC338Transcribed ncRNA encoding uc.338TUC338/RASAL1 axisProliferation(+); chemoresistance(−)[112]

TUG1Taurine upregulated 1TUG1-miR132-Hedgehog axis; TUG1/miR-455-3p/AMPKβ2 axisProliferation(+), apoptosis(−), metastasis(+)[113, 114]

ANRIL (CDKN2B-AS1)CDKN2B antisense RNA 1Downregulating miR-122-5pProliferation(+), apoptosis(−), metastasis(+)[115, 116]

URHCUpregulated in hepatocellular carcinomaDownregulating ZAK;
suppressing ERK/MAPK pathway
Proliferation(+), apoptosis(−)[117]

AFAP1-AS1AFAP antisense RNA 1Upregulation of RhoA/Rac2 signalingProliferation(+), invasion(+)[118]

PCNA-AS1PCNA antisense RNA 1Stabilizing PCNAProliferation(+)[119]

CCAT2Colon cancer associated transcript 2Upregulating FOXM1 expression;Proliferation(+), apoptosis(−), EMT(+) [120122]

SNHG1Small nucleolar RNA host gene 1Downregulating miR-195Proliferation(+), invasion(+), migration(+), apoptosis(+)[123, 124]

HCALHCC-associated lncRNAHCAL-miR-15a/miR-196a/miR-196b-LAPTM4B networkProliferation(+), metastasis(+)[125]

MUFMSC-upregulated factorActivating Wnt/β-catenin signalingEMT(+)[126]

HOXD-AS1HOXD cluster antisense RNA 1Upregulating SOX4, EZH2, and MMP2; HOXD-AS1/miR19a/ARHGAP11A axisMigration(+), invasion(+), apoptosis(−)[127, 128]

AWPPHNoneActivating PIK3CAProliferation(+), migration(+)[129]

SNHG12Small nucleolar RNA host gene 12SNHG12/miR-199a/b-5p/MLK3 axisProliferation(+), invasion(+), metastasis(+), apoptosis(−)[130]

lncBRMlncRNA for association with BrahmaActivating YAP1 signalingCancer stem cell self-renewal(+)[131]

Unigene56159NoneUnigene56159/miR-140-5p/Slug axisEMT(+), migration(+), invasion(+)[132]

SNHG6-003NoneSponge for miR-26a/bProliferation(+), chemoresistance(+)[133]

lnc-β-CatmNoneActivating Wnt-β-catenin signalingProliferation(+), cancer stem cell self-renewal(+)[134]

+: increase; −: decrease.