Interplay of non-coding RNAs with amino acid and glucose transporters within the solute carrier family in cancer: a review.
11 affiliations
- 1Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Clinical Sciences Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. [email protected].
- 2Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 3Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- 4Applied Microbiology Research Center, Biomedicine Technologies Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 5Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital, TeMs.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
- 6Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, China.
- 7Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
- 8Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. [email protected].
- 9Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 10Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, China. [email protected].
- 11Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117600, Singapore. [email protected].
Abstract
Solute carrier (SLC) transporters play a central role in tumor metabolism by mediating the uptake of amino acids and sugars required for cancer cell growth and survival. Their proper function is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and their dysregulation contributes to metabolic reprogramming, tumor progression, and therapy resistance. Recent studies have identified non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, as key regulators of SLC transporter expression and function. This review provides a focused and comprehensive overview of the intricate regulatory networks between ncRNAs and amino acid and sugar transporters within the SLC family, highlighting their implications in cancer. We summarize current evidence on direct and indirect regulatory mechanisms, including transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic pathways, and discuss how these interactions reshape cancer metabolism. We highlight existing knowledge gaps, such as context-dependent regulation, indirect regulatory networks, and limited mechanistic validation in vivo. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential and challenges of targeting ncRNA-SLC networks. A deeper understanding of these interactions may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic approaches aimed at improving cancer treatment outcomes.
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BibTeX
@article{hushmandi2026interplay,
title = {{Interplay of non-coding RNAs with amino acid and glucose transporters within the solute carrier family in cancer: a review.}},
author = {Kiavash Hushmandi and Hassan Abolghasemi and Russel J Reiter and Abbas Ali Imani Fooladi and Najma Farahani and Liping Liang and William C Cho and Shokooh Salimimoghadam and Mina Alimohammadi and Le Liu and Gautam Sethi},
journal = {Cancer cell international},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12935-026-04431-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43009992},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Interplay of non-coding RNAs with amino acid and glucose transporters within the solute carrier family in cancer: a review.
AU - Kiavash Hushmandi
AU - Hassan Abolghasemi
AU - Russel J Reiter
AU - Abbas Ali Imani Fooladi
AU - Najma Farahani
AU - Liping Liang
AU - William C Cho
AU - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
AU - Mina Alimohammadi
AU - Le Liu
AU - Gautam Sethi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/14
JO - Cancer cell international
DO - 10.1186/s12935-026-04431-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43009992
AB - Solute carrier (SLC) transporters play a central role in tumor metabolism by mediating the uptake of amino acids and sugars required for cancer cell growth and survival. Their proper function is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and their dysregulation contributes to metabolic reprogramming, tumor progression, and therapy resistance. Recent studies have identified non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, as key regulators of SLC transporter expression and function. This review provides a focused and comprehensive overview of the intricate regulatory networks between ncRNAs and amino acid and sugar transporters within the SLC family, highlighting their implications in cancer. We summarize current evidence on direct and indirect regulatory mechanisms, including transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic pathways, and discuss how these interactions reshape cancer metabolism. We highlight existing knowledge gaps, such as context-dependent regulation, indirect regulatory networks, and limited mechanistic validation in vivo. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential and challenges of targeting ncRNA-SLC networks. A deeper understanding of these interactions may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic approaches aimed at improving cancer treatment outcomes.
SN - 1475-2867
ER -