Critical roles of the lncRNA CASC11 in tumor progression and cancer metastasis: The biomarker and therapeutic target potential

The frequency of human suffering from cancer is increasing annually across the globe. This has fueled numerous investigations aimed at the prevention and cure of various cancers. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are known to play a crucial role in cancer. For instance, cancer susceptibility candidate 11 (CASC11), as one of the long non-coding RNAs, has been reported to be overexpressed in various tumors. This review elucidates the mechanism by which lncRNA CASC11 regulates tumors' biological processes and affirms its value as a therapeutic target for tumors. Through systematic analysis and review of relevant articles in PubMed, we revealed the pathophysiological mechanism of CASC11 on the tumor by regulating the biological processes of tumor such as proliferation, autophagy, apoptosis, thereby promoting tumor metastasis. We also revealed the regulatory pathways of CASC11 in different tumors, for instance by acting on a variety of microRNAs, oncogenic proteins, carcinogens, and transcription factors. Consequently, CASC11 regulates cancer proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion by altering the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, CASC11 expression has a high pertinence with clinical prognosis, suggesting that it is a potential marker for malignant tumors or a clinical adjuvant therapy in the future.