Insight into LncRNA- and CircRNA-Mediated CeRNAs: Regulatory Network and Implications in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma—A Narrative Literature Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) can regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level by competitively binding to microRNAs. In cancer, ceRNA activity is dysregulated. The imbalanced ceRNA-related regulatory network has been theorized to play an important role in cancer progression. In this review, we summarize the biological functions and clinical implications of long noncoding RNAs and circular RNAs as ceRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). ABSTRACT: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a kind of head-and-neck malignant tumor, and distant metastasis treatment resistance is the leading cause of patient death. In-depth understanding of NPC progression and treatment failure remains to be explored. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that play key regulatory role in shaping tumor cell activities. Recent studies have revealed that lncRNA and circRNA function as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) by regulating the posttranscriptional expression of genes as miRNA baits. The imbalanced ceRNA networks derived from lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction are widely found to contribute to NPC development. Herein, we summarize typical examples of lncRNA/circRNA-associated ceRNAs in recent years, which involved the potential molecular mechanisms in the regulation of proliferation, apoptosis, treatment resistance and metastasis of NPC, and discuss their potential clinical significance in the prognosis and treatment of NPC. Interpreting the involvement of ceRNAs networks will provide new insight into the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of NPC. However, ceRNA regulatory mechanism has some limitations currently. Screening the most effective ceRNA targets and the clinical application of ceRNA still has many challenges.