Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2022; 28(25): 2823-2842
Published online Jul 7, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i25.2823
Long noncoding RNAs in hepatitis B virus replication and oncogenesis
Hui-Chun Li, Chee-Hing Yang, Shih-Yen Lo
Hui-Chun Li, Department of Biochemistry, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
Chee-Hing Yang, Shih-Yen Lo, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
Shih-Yen Lo, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien 97004, Taiwan
Author contributions: Li HC and Lo SY wrote the manuscript; Yang CH and Lo SY drew the figures.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shih-Yen Lo, PhD, Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Tzu Chi University, No. 701 Section 3, Chung Yang Road, Hualien 97004, Taiwan. losylo@mail.tcu.edu.tw
Received: January 16, 2022
Peer-review started: January 16, 2022
First decision: April 11, 2022
Revised: April 16, 2022
Accepted: May 21, 2022
Article in press: May 21, 2022
Published online: July 7, 2022
Abstract

Several diverse long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be involved in hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and oncogenesis, especially those dysregulated in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most of these dysregulated lncRNAs are modulated by the HBV X protein. The regulatory mechanisms of some lncRNAs in HBV replication and oncogenesis have been characterized. Genetic polymorphisms of several lncRNAs affecting HBV replication or oncogenesis have also been studied. The prognosis of HCC remains poor. It is important to identify novel tumor markers for early diagnosis and find more therapeutic targets for effective treatments of HCC. Some dysregulated lncRNAs in HBV-related HCC may become biomarkers for early diagnosis and/or the therapeutic targets of HCC. This mini-review summarizes these findings briefly, focusing on recent developments.

Keywords: Hepatitis B virus, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Long noncoding RNAs, Hepatitis B virus X protein, Biomarker

Core Tip: The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poor. It is important to identify novel tumor markers for early diagnosis and find more therapeutic targets for effective treatments of HCC. Several diverse long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be involved in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis may help for their use in early diagnosis and to identify appropriate targets for the prevention and treatment of HBV-related HCC.