Discovery and validation of clinically relevant long non-coding RNAs in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, with nearly two million newly diagnosed cases each year. The survival of patients with CRC greatly depends on the cancer stage at the time of diagnosis, with worse prognosis for more advanced cases. Consequently, considerable effort has been directed towards improving population screening programs for early diagnosis and identifying prognostic markers that can better inform treatment strategies. In recent years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recognized as promising molecules, with diagnostic and prognostic potential in many cancers, including CRC. Although large-scale genome and transcriptome sequencing surveys have identified many lncRNAs that are altered in CRC, most of their roles in disease onset and progression remain poorly understood. Here, we critically review the variety of detection methods and types of supporting evidence for the involvement of lncRNAs in CRC. In addition, we provide a reference catalog that features the most clinically relevant lncRNAs in CRC. These lncRNAs were selected based on recent studies sorted by stringent criteria for both supporting experimental evidence and reproducibility.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation with grant PGC2018-099921-B-I00, cofounded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); by the Catalan Research Agency (AGAUR) SGR423; by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant ERC-2016-724173); by TRANSCOLONCAN COST action network (CA17118); by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant GBMF9742); by the “La Caixa” foundation (Grant LCF/PR/HR21/00737), and by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (IMPACT grant IMP/00019) and CIBERINFEC (grant CB21/13/00061-ISCIII-SGEFI/ERDF). This research was made possible by the Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version