LncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes as potential biomarkers in cervical cancer: a comprehensive overview

Despite the recent advances in vaccination and treatment strategies, cervical cancer continues to claim numerous lives every year. Owing to the fact that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) interact with coding transcripts, and effectuate key roles in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of cervical cancer, there has been extensive research in recent years to explore their potential as biomarkers for early detection, or as therapeutic targets. Through this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in discoveries about cervical cancer-associated lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axes, their dysregulation, and their roles in various signaling pathways associated with the growth, survival, invasion, and metastasis of cervical cancer cells. We further discuss the potential therapeutic strategies to utilize the dysregulated lncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and as therapeutic targets to ameliorate the prognosis of cervical cancer.