Role of long non-coding RNA TP73-AS1 in cancer

Cancer incidence rate has increased so much that it is the second leading cause of deaths worldwide after cardiovascular diseases. Sensitive and specific biomarkers are needed for an early diagnosis of cancer and in-time treatment. Recent studies have found that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in cancer tumorigenesis. LncRNA P73 antisense RNA 1T (TP73-AS1), also known as KIAA0495 and p53-dependent apoptosis modulator (PDAM), is located in human chromosomal band 1p36.32 and plays a crucial role in many different carcinomas. This review summarizes current findings on the role of TP73-AS1 and its signaling pathways in various cancers, including glioma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), colorectal cancer (CRC), osteosarcoma, gastric cancer (GC), clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), breast cancer (BC), bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Its aberrant expression generally correlates with clinicopathological characterization of patients. Moreover, TP73-AS1 regulates proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and chemoresistance cancer mechanisms, both in vivo and in vitro, through different signaling pathways. Therefore, TP73-AS1 may be considered as a marker for diagnosis and prognosis, also as a target for cancer treatment.