The hypoxia-responsive long non-coding RNAs may impact on the tumor biology and subsequent management of breast cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are DNA transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides without protein-coding potential. As they are key regulators of gene expression at chromatic, transcriptional and posttranscriptional level, they play important role in various biological and pathological processes. Dysregulation of lncRNAs has been observed in several diseases including cancer. Breast cancer is heterogeneous disease with many molecular subtypes specific in different prognosis and treatment responses. Hypoxia, a common micro-environmental feature of rapidly growing tumour is associated with metastases, recurrences and resistance to therapy. Aberrant expression of hypoxia related lncRNAs significantly correlates with poor outcomes in cancer patients, as the lncRNAs play an important regulatory role in the breast cancer-cell survival. Thus, a better understanding of lncRNAs role in the hypoxic conditions of breast cancer is crucial for precise understanding of the tumorigenesis, disease features and poor clinical outcome, especially in highly aggressive breast cancer subtypes (HER2-positive and triple-negative types). Moreover, lncRNAs may represent tumour marker predicting prognosis and therapeutic targets improving precise and personalized therapy for better patient´s survival. In this review, we summarize the recent information on lncRNAs in breast cancer with special focus on the hypoxia-responsive lncRNAs and their potential impact on the prognosis, therapy algorithms and individual outcomes. Presented data helps in better understanding of the specific mechanisms predicting new therapeutic agents and strategies for the pharmacological intervention.