SnoRNAs: The promising targets for anti-tumor therapy

Xiaoyun Hu; Wanlin Cui; Min Liu; Fangxiao Zhang; Yingqi Zhao; Mingrong Zhang; Yuhang Yin; Yalun Li; Ying Che; Xianglong Zhu; Yuxuan Fan; Xiaolan Deng; Minjie Wei; Huizhe Wu

doi:10.1016/j.jpha.2024.101064

SnoRNAs: The promising targets for anti-tumor therapy

J Pharm Anal. 2024 Nov;14(11):101064. doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2024.101064. Epub 2024 Aug 5.

Authors

Xiaoyun Hu^{1

2

3}, Wanlin Cui^{1

2}, Min Liu^{1

2}, Fangxiao Zhang⁴, Yingqi Zhao^{1

2}, Mingrong Zhang^{1

2}, Yuhang Yin^{1

2}, Yalun Li⁵, Ying Che^{1

2}, Xianglong Zhu^{1

2}, Yuxuan Fan^{1

2}, Xiaolan Deng⁶, Minjie Wei^{1

2

3

7}, Huizhe Wu^{1

2

3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
² Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Anti-tumor Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Center, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
³ Scientific Experimental Center, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
⁴ The Second Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
⁵ Department of Anorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
⁶ Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA.
⁷ Shenyang Kangwei Medical Laboratory Analysis Co., Ltd., Shenyang, 110000, China.

Abstract

Recently, small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have transcended the genomic "noise" to emerge as pivotal molecular markers due to their essential roles in tumor progression. Substantial evidence indicates a strong association between snoRNAs and critical clinical features such as tumor pathology and drug resistance. Historically, snoRNA research has concentrated on two classical mechanisms: 2'-O-ribose methylation and pseudouridylation. This review specifically summarizes the novel regulatory mechanisms and functional patterns of snoRNAs in tumors, encompassing transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational regulation. We further discuss the synergistic effect between snoRNA host genes (SNHGs) and snoRNAs in tumor progression. More importantly, snoRNAs extensively contribute to the development of tumor cell resistance as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Accordingly, we provide a comprehensive review of the clinical diagnosis and treatment associated with snoRNAs and explore their significant potential as novel drug targets.

Keywords: Cancer; Multidrug resistance; Targeted therapy; Tumor immune microenvironment; snoRNA; snoRNA host gene.

Publication types

Review