Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an important novel class of non-coding RNAs having lengths of 200 nucleotides and low expression. The HOX Transcript Antisense Intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is one of the most extensively studied lncRNAs found dysregulated in human cancer. Although a growing body of evidence suggests a role fo HOTAIR in pathogenesis, disease progression, drug resistance and reduced survival, its mechanism of action remains largely unclear. Recent studies have identified that HOTAIR facilitates protein-protein interaction thereby affecting diverse pathways in cancer such as epigenetic reprogramming, protein stability and signal transduction. HOTAIR has been shown to promote tumor progression by regulating microRNA expression and function. Moreover, several HOTAIR gene variants have recently been identified and found to increase cancer susceptibility. Here we review recent data on the critical role of HOTAIR in human malignancy and its potential mechanism of action. A more comprehensive understanding of this unique lncRNA is critical to elucidating the pro-oncogenic function of HOTAIR its potential application in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

中文翻译：

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HOTAIR LncRNA：人类癌症中的新型致癌推进剂。

长的非编码RNA（lncRNA）是一类重要的新型非编码RNA，长度为200个核苷酸，且表达量低。HOX转录反义基因间RNA（HOTAIR）是在人类癌症中发现失调的最广泛研究的lncRNA之一。尽管越来越多的证据表明，HOTAIR在发病机理，疾病进展，耐药性和存活率降低中起着作用，但其作用机理仍不清楚。最近的研究发现，HOTAIR促进了蛋白质与蛋白质的相互作用，从而影响了癌症的多种途径，例如表观遗传重编程，蛋白质稳定性和信号转导。HOTAIR已显示可通过调节microRNA的表达和功能来促进肿瘤进展。而且，最近发现了几种HOTAIR基因变体，发现它们增加了癌症的易感性。在这里，我们回顾有关HOTAIR在人类恶性肿瘤中的关键作用及其潜在作用机制的最新数据。对这种独特的lncRNA的更全面的了解对于阐明HOTAIR的促癌作用至关重要，它在诊断，预后和治疗中的潜在应用。