Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is primary liver cancer, frequently diagnosed at advanced stages with limited therapeutic options. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate target gene expression and through inhibitory competitive binding of miRNA influence cellular processes including carcinogenesis. Extensive evidence proved that certain miRNA's are specifically expressed in neoplastic tissues of HCC patients and are confirmed as important factors that can participate in the regulation of key signalling pathways in cancer cells. As such, miRNAs have a great potential in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of HCC and can improve the limitations of standard diagnosis and treatment. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a critical role in the development and progression of HCC. HCC-related lncRNAs have been demonstrated to exhibit abnormal expression and contribute to transformation process (such as proliferation, apoptosis, accelerated vascular formation, and gain of invasive potential) through their interaction with DNA, RNA, or proteins. LncRNAs can bind mRNAs to release their target mRNA and enable its translation. These lncRNA-miRNA networks regulate cancer cell expression and so its proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), drug resistance, and autophagy. In this narrative review, we focus on miRNA and lncRNA in HCC tumor tissue and their interaction as current tools, and biomarkers and therapeutic targets unravelled in recent years.

Department of Cancer Epidemiology German Cancer Research Center Im Neuenheimer Feld 280 69120 Heidelberg Germany

Department of Surgery University Hospital in Pilsen and Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University Alej Svobody 80 323 00 Pilsen Czech Republic

Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration Biomedical Center Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University Alej Svobody 1665 76 323 00 Pilsen Czech Republic

Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics Biomedical Center Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University Alej Svobody 1665 76 323 00 Pilsen Czech Republic

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