Chemoresistance in cervical cancer: identifying and exploiting non-coding RNAs

Abstract

Drug resistance continues to pose a significant challenge, accounting for a large proportion of relapses and playing a major role in cervical cancer-related mortality worldwide. Emerging evidence has indicated that the aberrant expression of non-coding RNAs, especially circular RNAs (circRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) is responsible for drug resistance, which poses a significant challenge to the success of chemotherapy. Addressing drug resistance is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden of cervical cancer on healthcare systems. In this review, we summarize the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which circRNAs, miRNAs and lncRNAs mediate drug resistance to common drugs used in the treatment of cervical cancer. This work underscores non-coding RNAs as a promising therapeutic target, offering a potential avenue for overcoming chemoresistance in cervical cancer.