Interaction between lncRNAs and RNA binding proteins, and their potential as drug targets in the therapy of liver cancer (Review)

Liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as the major type, is a serious malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an essential role in the pathogenesis and development of liver cancer, as they can cooperate with and modulate other molecules, particularly RNA binding proteins (RBPs), to perform regulatory functions. Conversely, RBPs also deeply influence the functional manner of lncRNAs in cancer cells. Thus, it is critical to decipher how lncRNAs and RBPs interact with each other, affect the expression, localization, structure, modification, or function of their partners, and induce the following biological programs. In the present review, the interactions between lncRNAs and RBPs identified over the past years are examined, and their modes of cooperation and downstream effects on liver cancer progression are explored. Briefly, lncRNA‑RBP pairs were classified into different categories according to their mechanisms of interaction and their influence on liver cancer development, including how their interactions affect one another, how they cooperate to regulate targets, and the resulting functional outcomes on liver cancer. In addition, the current state‑of‑the‑art databases and technologies used to identify potential interactions between lncRNAs and RBPs were also emphasized, including crosslinking and immunoprecipitation, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull‑down and mass spectrometry. In summary, the present review systematically summarized the regulatory functions of lncRNA‑RBP pairs in liver cancer, which suggests the potential to harness RNA‑based therapeutics as an alternative treatment modality for liver cancer.