Exp Mol Med.  2017 Feb;49(2):e293. 10.1038/emm.2016.177.

Hepatitis B virus X protein-mediated non-coding RNA aberrations in the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma

• Zhang B
• Han S
• Feng B
• Chu X
• Chen L
• Wang R

• KMID: 2375023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/emm.2016.177

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has an important role in the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Accumulated evidence has shown that HBV-encoded X protein (HBx) can induce both genetic alterations in tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, as well as epigenetic aberrations in HCC pathogens. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) mainly include microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Although ncRNAs cannot code proteins, growing evidence has shown that they have various important biological functions in cell proliferation, cell cycle control, anti-apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor invasion and metastasis. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the mechanisms and emerging roles of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of HBV-related HCC. Accumulated data have shown that ncRNAs regulated by HBx have a crucial role in HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. The findings of these studies will contribute to more clinical applications of HBV-related ncRNAs as potential diagnostic markers or as molecular therapeutic targets to prevent and treat HBV-related HCC.

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*
Cell Cycle Checkpoints
Cell Proliferation
Epigenomics
Genes, Tumor Suppressor
Hepatitis B virus*
Hepatitis B*
Hepatitis*
Humans*
MicroRNAs
Neoplasm Metastasis
Oncogenes
RNA, Long Noncoding
RNA, Untranslated*
MicroRNAs
RNA, Long Noncoding
RNA, Untranslated