Editorial : Non-Coding RNAs in Gastrointestinal and Gynecological Cancers : New Insights Into the Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutic Resistance

Chemoresistance is mediated by a variety of molecular mechanisms, including inhibition of drug influx,increased drug efflux, evasion of cell apoptosis, enhanced repair of DNA damage, induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), activation of cancer stem-like features, induction of autophagy,alterations in cancer metabolism, mutations of drug targets, and dynamic interactions betweentumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment (Holohan et al., 2013). Tumor cells canbecome resistant to chemotherapeutic agents through a combination of different mechanisms (Vasanet al., 2019). Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs),have been implicated in chemoresistance (Wang et al., 2019).In this research topic, 21 papers (including thirteen reviews and eight original research articles)that have shed light on the therapeutic resistance mechanisms controlled by non-coding RNAs inhuman gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers were chosen. The latestfindings presented in thisResearch Topic add to our understanding of the mechanisms by which non-coding RNAs governcancer cell resistance to chemotherapy, and may also point to meaningful molecular targets thatcould be utilized to eliminate chemoresistance and increase the survival of cancer patients