Long noncoding RNA in liver cancer stem cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and a major cause of cancer-related deaths. HCC often has an insidious onset, fast progression, and high tendency of metastasis and recurrence, hence it is a highly fatal malignant tumor. The origin of HCC is still a topic of debate but studies over the past decade have clearly identified liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) being a cardinal source of liver cancer. LCSCs are a small subset of cells with the unlimited ability of self-renewal, differentiation, and uncontrollable growth. LCSCs are also resistant to conventional therapies and are thus believed to be responsible for treatment failure. Recent studies have indicated that long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) may play important roles in the regulation of the biological functions of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The roles of lncRNAs on the biological properties of LCSCs are unknown. In this review, we briefly summarize the published studies on the functions and underlying mechanisms of commonly reported lncRNAs in the regulation of LCSCs.