LncRNA MAFG-AS1 is involved in human cancer progression

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) refer to a type of non-protein-coding transcript of more than 200 nucleotides. LncRNAs play fundamental roles in disease development and progression, and lncRNAs are dysregulated in many pathophysiological processes. Thus, lncRNAs may have potential value in clinical applications. The lncRNA, MAF BZIP Transcription Factor G (MAFG)-AS1, is dysregulated in several cancer, including breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, esophagus cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and glioma. Altered MAFG-AS1 levels are also associated with diverse clinical characteristics and patient outcomes. Mechanistically, MAFG-AS1 mediates a variety of cellular processes via the regulation of target gene expression. Therefore, the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic aspects of MAFG-AS1 have been widely explored. In this review, we discuss the expression, major roles, and molecular mechanisms of MAFG-AS1, the relationship between MAFG-AS1 and clinical features of diseases, and the clinical applications of MAFG-AS1.

In the present review, we discuss the expression, related clinical features, and biological functions of MAFG-AS1 in diverse cancers.In addition, we discuss the underlying mechanisms and clinical applications of MAFG-AS1.
Importantly, MAFG-AS1 often functions as a sponge to interfere with microRNA regulation of gene expression, which affects many biological processes, including cell proliferation, invasion, glycolysis, metastasis, and drug sensitivity (Table 2).In this section, we include a comprehensive description of the relationship between MAFG-AS1 expression and clinical features of diverse cancers.

Gastric cancer
MAFG-AS1 is overexpressed in gastric cancer MKN-45, AGS, and SGC7901 cells and tissues.MAFG-AS1 upregulation is associated with deteriorative clinical stage, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and unfavorable OS [67,68].MAFG-AS1 also plays a pro-cancer role in gastric cancer through the promotion of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

The pro-oncogenic mechanisms of MAFG-AS1 in human cancers
MAFG-AS1 is involved in the development of various cancers and governs numerous biological processes through diverse mechanisms, including cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, autophagy, drug resistance, and glycolysis (Table 2).This section briefly introduces the mechanisms for MAFG-AS1 effects in human cancers.

Clinical applications of MAFG-AS1 in human cancers
Despite the continuous strides in disease prevention and treatment, the global burden of cancer remains heavy [92][93][94][95].In this context, new potent and safe molecules are needed to develop combination therapy strategies.
As the roles of MAFG-AS1 in diverse cancers are revealed, its clinical value has received increased attention.Multiple studies show the overexpression of MAFG-AS1 in tissues and cells and its pro-oncogenic roles in many cancers.MAFG-AS1 overexpression helps distinguish between cancerous and normal tissues and improves early-stage cancer diagnosis.Given the close association between MAFG-AS1 and diverse clinical features, MAFG-AS1 is a powerful prognostic tool for cancers.Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrate that high MAFG-AS1 levels correlate with patient's poor prognoses (such as overall survival and progression free survival) in diverse cancers, including breast, lung, liver, bladder, colorectal, gastric, and esophageal cancers [52,53,57,59,60,63,65,[67][68][69].Univariate Cox regression analyses in liver and gastric cancer patients also confirm the significant association of MAFG-AS1 with unfavorable OS [53,57,68].Multivariate analyses revealed that MAFG-AS1 is an independent prognostic biomarker in bladder, colorectal, and gastric cancers [60,65,68].The detection of MAFG-AS1 levels in cancer tissues and cells may improve the diagnosis and prognosis of several cancers and guide therapeutic approaches.In addition, recent studies suggest that MAFG-AS1 is involved in important biological processes through diverse molecular mechanisms, especially the regulation of downstream molecules.MAFG-AS1 knockdown slows cancer progression and is a potential novel therapy.MAFG-AS1 enhances cancer cell resistance to tamoxifen, which is a target for the treatment of breast cancer [48].Accordingly, MAFG-AS1 has great potential in clinical application in terms of cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.Molecular therapy holds great potential in the field of oncology, albeit with certain challenges [96].

Conclusions
As a novel tumor-related lncRNA, dysregulation of MAFG-AS1 contributes to multiple human cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, esophagus cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and glioma.Elevated MAFG-AS1 expression is closely associated with diverse undesirable clinical characteristics and poor outcomes.Multiple experimental studies also revealed that MAFG-AS1 acts on a variety of targets to mediate crucial biological processes, including cell migration, invasion, proliferation, energy metabolism, and drug resistance.Considering its attractive features in diverse cancers, MAFG-AS1

Table 1
The expression and clinical characteristics of MAFG-AS1 in cancers

Table 2
The roles and mechanisms of MAFG-AS1 in cancers