Xi Dongxin, Sanbai Guli Shayila Dui, Jiang Min, Zhang Zhihao, Sun Taoran, Wang Weijia, Guo Yu
Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Department of Human Anatomy, Xinjiang Second Medical College, Karamay City, Xinjiang, China.
Clin Genet. 2025 Jun;107(6):587-599. doi: 10.1111/cge.14739. Epub 2025 Mar 6.
Small nucleolar ribonucleic acids (snoRNAs) have emerged as crucial regulators in various biological processes and have garnered significant attention for their potential roles in cancer. These noncoding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) primarily guide ribosomal RNA (rRNA) pseudouridylation and 2'-O-methylation modifications and exhibit stable expression in the serum, making them promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Digestive tract cancer poses a severe global health threat due to its high mortality rate and difficulty in early detection. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor development is critical for improving diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Small nucleolar RNAs, with their diverse functions and stable presence in biological fluids, offer a unique opportunity to address these challenges. Small nucleolar RNAs are a class of small noncoding RNAs mainly located in the nucleolus of eukaryotic cells. They play essential roles in the maturation and modification of rRNAs, transfer RNAs, and small nuclear RNAs. They also participate in alternative splicing regulation and exhibit microRNA-like functions, influencing various cellular processes. Abnormal expression of snoRNAs has been closely linked to the development, invasion, and metastasis of digestive system tumors. Given their stable expression in serum and the ability to function independently of host genes, snoRNAs hold great potential as biomarkers for early screening, prognosis prediction, and therapeutic targets in digestive system tumors. Their involvement in key signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms provides a foundation for developing targeted therapies and improving patient outcomes. This review highlights the significance of snoRNAs in digestive system tumors, their biological roles, connections to cancer progression, and potential clinical applications. Further exploration of snoRNAs is expected to provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system tumors.
小核仁核糖核酸（snoRNAs）已成为各种生物过程中的关键调节因子，并因其在癌症中的潜在作用而备受关注。这些非编码核糖核酸（RNAs）主要指导核糖体RNA（rRNA）假尿苷化和2'-O-甲基化修饰，并在血清中表现出稳定的表达，使其成为有前景的生物标志物和治疗靶点。由于其高死亡率和早期检测困难，消化道癌症对全球健康构成严重威胁。了解肿瘤发生发展的分子机制对于改进诊断和治疗策略至关重要。小核仁RNA具有多种功能且在生物体液中稳定存在，为应对这些挑战提供了独特的机会。小核仁RNA是一类主要位于真核细胞细胞核仁中的小非编码RNA。它们在rRNA、转运RNA和小核RNA的成熟和修饰中发挥重要作用。它们还参与可变剪接调控，并表现出类似微小RNA的功能，影响各种细胞过程。snoRNAs的异常表达与消化系统肿瘤的发生、侵袭和转移密切相关。鉴于它们在血清中的稳定表达以及独立于宿主基因发挥功能的能力，snoRNAs作为消化系统肿瘤早期筛查、预后预测的生物标志物和治疗靶点具有巨大潜力。它们参与关键信号通路和分子机制为开发靶向治疗和改善患者预后提供了基础。本综述强调了snoRNAs在消化系统肿瘤中的重要性、它们的生物学作用、与癌症进展的联系以及潜在的临床应用。对snoRNAs的进一步探索有望为消化系统肿瘤的诊断和治疗提供新的见解。
