Small nucleolar RNA host gene 1: A new biomarker and therapeutic target for cancers.

OBJECTIVES: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a group of transcripts with length greater than 200 nucleotides, have been involved in multiple pathophysiological processes of the human body, especially in tumorigenesis and progression of cancers. The aberrant expression of lncRNAs processes crucial functions involved in proliferation, apoptosis and metastatic capacity of cancers. Recent studies have revealed that small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1), a long non-coding RNA transcribed from UHG, was located in chromosome 11. Aberrant expression of SNHG1 has been demonstrated to be associated with various sites of cancers such as glioma, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and many others, and its deregulation could be related to survival and prognosis of cancer patients. Pertinent to clinical practice, SNHG1 might act as a prognostic biomarker for tumors and might even serve as potential target for therapy. In this review, we summarized current researches concerning the role of SNHG1 in tumor progression and discussed its mechanisms involved.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this review, we summarized and figured out recent studies concerning the expression and biological mechanisms of SNHG1in tumor development. The related studies were obtained through a systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library.

RESULTS: SNHG1 was a valuable cancer-related lncRNA that the expression level was up-regulation in a variety of malignancies, including glioma, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The aberrant expressions of SNHG1 have shown to contribute to proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS: SNHG1 represents promising novel biomarkers for various cancer types and have a great potential to be effectively used in clinical practice in the near future.