CRISPR/Cas9 Technology: Exploring The Functions of lncRNAs and Their Roles in Cancer Progression

LI Xin, HU Ying, WANG Yu-Ming

Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3) : 364-375.

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Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3) : 364-375. DOI: 10.13865/j.cnki.cjbmb.2025.01.1194
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CRISPR/Cas9 Technology: Exploring The Functions of lncRNAs and Their Roles in Cancer Progression

  • LI Xin, HU Ying, WANG Yu-Ming*
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Abstract

The emergence of CRISPR/Cas system has greatly promoted the progress in the field of gene editing, especially CRISPR/Cas9 system, which has become a core tool in biomedical research. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in gene regulation, cell differentiation and the development of a variety of diseases. Especially in cancer research, lncRNAs have important application prospects as cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets. However, lncRNAs are generally characterized by low abundance and poor conservation, which limits the study of their functions by traditional means. CRISPR/Cas9 technology provides an efficient, flexible and accurate tool for lncRNA research, which significantly accelerates the progress in this field. This paper first reviews the basic principles of CRISPR/Cas9 system and its wide applications in gene editing, including CRISPR knockout, knock-in, interference, activation and other functional systems. These technologies can not only screen key lncRNAs in specific biological processes, but also be used for gene function research to explore their roles in diseases. This article focuses on the analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the study of lncRNA functions, regulatory mechanisms, and its key applications in tumor research. In addition, the article also summarizes the methods of genome-wide screening by CRISPR/Cas9 to identify functional lncRNAs, and discusses the roles of these lncRNAs in cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion and drug resistance. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout system can efficiently knock down lncRNA genes and reveal their specific functions in gene regulation. At the same time, CRISPR activation and interference technology provide a new idea for the research of noncoding genes, and further explore its clinical application in cancer and other diseases by regulating the expression level of lncRNAs. The article also discusses the potential of CRISPR technology in future lncRNA research, especially the progress in solving technical problems such as genome complexity, targeting efficiency and off-target effects. As mentioned in the review, CRISPR/Cas9 technology not only provides a powerful tool for studying lncRNAs, but also provides new ideas and opportunities for developing new means of cancer diagnosis and treatment in the future.

Key words

clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-related protein 9 (CRIAPR/Cas9) / long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) / gene regulation / cancer

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LI Xin, HU Ying, WANG Yu-Ming. CRISPR/Cas9 Technology: Exploring The Functions of lncRNAs and Their Roles in Cancer Progression[J]. Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2025, 41(3): 364-375 https://doi.org/10.13865/j.cnki.cjbmb.2025.01.1194

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Funding

Yunnan Science and Technology Talents and Platform Plan (No.2019IC034) and The In-hospital Science and Technology Program of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University(No.202001AY070001-162)
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