The lncRNAs in HBV-Related HCCs: Targeting Chromatin Dynamics and Beyond

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common and fast rising cause of cancer, is responsible for over 800,000 deaths/year. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection accounts for >50% of the cases worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), untranslated transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, by acting both in the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, regulate gene expression both at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The lncRNAs have been involved in the development and progression of many cancers, including HCC. In this review, we describe the role of lncRNAs in HBV infection and HBV-related liver carcinogenesis and discuss the potential of lncRNAs as predictive or diagnostic biomarkers. ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the fourth leading and fastest rising cause of cancer death (841,000 new cases and 782,000 deaths annually), and hepatitis B (HBV), with 250 million people chronically infected at risk of developing HCC, accounts for >50% of the cases worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), untranslated transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, are implicated in gene regulation at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, exerting their activities both in the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. Thanks to high-throughput sequencing techniques, several lncRNAs have been shown to favor the establishment of chronic HBV infection, to change the host transcriptome to establish a pro-carcinogenic environment, and to directly participate in HCC development and progression. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the role of lncRNAs in HBV infection and HBV-related liver carcinogenesis and discuss the potential of lncRNAs as predictive or diagnostic biomarkers.