INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF
CancerGenetics
Role of non-coding RNAs in the regulation of Urothelial bladder cancer stem-ness
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Fatemeh Badipa,1 Safar Farajnia ,2,* Behrouz Alirezapuor,3 Elham Kamalkazemi,4
1. Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2. Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3. Radiation Application Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran
4. Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Introduction: Urothelial bladder cancer (UBC), the most common malignancy of the urinary tract, ranks as the sixth most prevalent cancer among men and is the leading genitourinary malignancy worldwide (1). Cancer stem cells (CSCs), also known as tumor-initiating cells, exhibit a stem cell-like phenotype characterized by self-renewal and an unlimited replication capacity, which enables them to induce carcinogenesis in various cancers. CSCs play a crucial role in the initiation, progression, and drug resistance of UBC. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the stemness properties of UBC, particularly the genetic and epigenetic factors, remain largely unclear. Thus, assessment of the molecular mechanisms underlying CSCs is required (2). Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), regulate numerous cellular processes and have been implicated in various aspects of cancer biology, including drug resistance. Accumulating evidence indicates that ncRNAs play crucial roles in regulating stemness, therapy resistance, and tumor progression (3). Therefore, represent promising potential targets for UBC.
- Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review of previous studies and collected data from related research published from 2000 to 2025 using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The search terms included “urothelial bladder cancer (UBC),” “non-coding RNAs,” and “stemness.”
- Results: These studies reported that miR-142-3p (4), circCD2AP (5), miR-543-3p (6), LncRNA NCK1-AS1 (3), lncRNA HOXA-AS2 (7), lncRNA SNHG12 (1) Promote the stemness phenotype of UBC. Consequently, they can induce cell proliferation, growth, migration, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance in UBC.
- Conclusion: Recent studies have revealed the critical role of ncRNAs in the malignant behavior of UBC, specifically in maintaining the stemness phenotype of UBC. Therefore, ncRNAs can be regarded as promising therapeutic targets in UBC.
- Keywords: Urothelial bladder cancer (UBC), non-coding RNAs, Stemness
