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The stem cell-specific long non-coding RNAs in leukemia

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Abstract

Leukemia is defined as a heterogeneous group of hematological cancers whose prevalence is on the rise worldwide. Despite the large body of studies, the etiology of leukemia has not been fully elucidated. Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are a subpopulation of cancer cells that sustain the growth of the leukemic clone and are the main culprit for the maintenance of the neoplasm. In contrast to most leukemia cells, LSCs are resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy. Several recent studies demonstrated the altered expression profile of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in LSCs and shed light on the role of lncRNAs in the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of LSCs. LncRNAs are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that are implicated in several cellular and molecular processes such as gene expression, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. Likewise, lncRNAs have shown a prognostic marker in leukemia patients and represent novel treatment options. Herein, we review the current knowledge concerning lncRNAs’ implication in the pathogenesis of LSCs and discuss their prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic potential.

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The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank all our colleagues in Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran (Ethical No. IR.AJUMS.REC.1401.242).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fertility, Infertility and Perinatology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Maryam Farzaneh

  2. Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Sajad Najafi

  3. Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Mohadeseh Sheykhi-Sabzehpoush

  4. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Medical Basic Sciences Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Fereshteh Nezhad Dehbashi

  5. Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Medicine, Nemazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Omid Anbiyaee

  6. Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Ava Nasrolahi

  7. Atherosclerosis Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Shirin Azizidoost

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  1. Maryam Farzaneh
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Contributions

SN, AN, MSHS, FND and OA have made contributions to the writing of the manuscript. MF and SHA have made contributions to the revision of the manuscript. All authors have approved the submitted version of the article and have agreed to be personally accountable for the author’s own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ava Nasrolahi or Shirin Azizidoost.

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Farzaneh, M., Najafi, S., Sheykhi-Sabzehpoush, M. et al. The stem cell-specific long non-coding RNAs in leukemia. Clin Transl Oncol 25, 345–351 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-022-02952-2

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