Urothelial cancer associated 1: a long noncoding RNA with a crucial role in cancer

Urothelial cancer associated 1 (UCA1) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) which has gained more attention in recent years due to its aberrant expression in embryogenesis and a broad range of cancer tissues and cells. Importantly, multiple studies have shown that UCA1 plays oncogenic roles in tumor growth and metastasis, and it may act as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for human cancers. However, the molecular mechanism of UCA1 in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis remains incompletely understood. Thus, gaining a better understanding of the functional mechanism of UCA1 in cancer onset and progression is of the utmost significance for evaluating the potential application of UCA1. In this review, we discuss UCA1 expression profiling, isoform, expression regulation, biological role and mechanism for UCA1 tumor-promoting effect. We further discuss the potential clinical application of UCA1 as a promising diagnostic biomarker or therapeutic target for human cancers. UCA1 functions as an oncogenic lncRNA in several malignancies, and it might become a potential biomarker or therapeutic target for human cancers.