Regulation of main ncRNAs by polyphenols: A novel anticancer therapeutic approach

Background: Plant polyphenols have shown promising applications in oncotherapy. Increasing evidence reveals that polyphenols possess the antitumor potential for multiple cancers. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), mainly including small ncRNAs (microRNA) and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), play critical roles in cancer initiation and progression. Purpose: To establish the modulation of ncRNAs by polyphenols as a novel and promising approach in anticancer treatment. Study design: The present research employed ncRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and regulatory mechanism as keywords to retrieve the literature from PubMed, Web of Science, Science direct, and Google Scholar, in a 20-year period from 2003 to 2023. This study critically reviewed the current literature and presented the regulation of prominent ncRNAs by polyphenols. A comprehensive total of 169 papers were retrieved on polyphenols and their related ncRNAs in cancers. Results: NcRNAs, mainly including miRNA and lncRNA, play critical roles in cancer initiation and progression, which are potential modulatory targets of bioactive polyphenols, such as resveratrol, genistein, curcumin, EGCG, quercetin, in cancer management. The mechanism involved in polyphenol-mediated ncRNA regulation includes epigenetic and transcriptional modification, and post-transcriptional processing. Conclusion: Regulatory ncRNAs are potential therapeutic targets of bioactive polyphenols, and these phytochemicals could modulate the level of these ncRNAs directly and indirectly. A better comprehension of the ncRNA regulation by polyphenols in cancers, their functional outcomes on tumor pathophysiology and regulatory molecular mechanisms, may be helpful to develop effective strategies to fight the devastating disease.

Automated summary

Plant polyphenols have potential anticancer effects and can modulate the expression of non-coding RNAs (including miRNA and lncRNA) involved in cancer initiation and progression. The regulation of ncRNAs by polyphenols involves epigenetic and transcriptional modification, as well as post-transcriptional processing. This finding suggests that polyphenols could be a novel approach for cancer treatment by targeting ncRNAs.