TITLE:
Research Progress on Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Regulation of Malignant Biological Behavior of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
AUTHORS:
Zhiqun He, Chenggang Mao
KEYWORDS:
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Long Non-Coding RNA, Tumor Metastasis, Competing Endogenous RNA
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.17 No.9,
September
17,
2026
ABSTRACT: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor originating from the nasopharyngeal epithelium, characterized by a distinct geographic distribution, with high incidence in southern China and Southeast Asia. Although radiotherapy and chemotherapy have advanced considerably, distant metastasis and resistance to chemoradiotherapy remain the leading causes of death in NPC patients. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA molecules longer than 200 nucleotides that do not encode proteins; they regulate gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels and participate in the initiation and progression of various malignancies. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has shown that lncRNAs play pivotal regulatory roles in the malignant biological behaviors of NPC, including proliferation, migration and invasion, resistance to chemoradiotherapy, apoptosis and autophagy, and metabolic reprogramming. This review systematically summarizes the research advances on lncRNAs in NPC, covering their regulatory mechanisms, signaling pathways, value as clinical biomarkers, and prospects as therapeutic targets, and discusses the current limitations and future directions of the field, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the early diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and targeted therapy of NPC.