Progress and assessment of lncRNA DGCR5 in malignant phenotype and immune infiltration of human cancers.

As a special type of noncoding RNA, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have vital roles during the development of human cancers and may be novel predictors or therapeutic targets for improving the management of patients with cancer. DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 (DGCR5) is a prominent tumor-associated lncRNA, exerting tumor suppressor or oncogenic roles in various cancers. Previous studies have reported that DGCR5 has low expression in most types of cancers but high expression in triple-negative breast cancer, gallbladder cancer, and lung cancer. And DGCR5 expression is related to many hallmarks of cancer types, including cell proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, stemness, and therapeutic responsiveness. Additionally, the pivotal molecules involved in DGCR5 regulation of signaling pathways are attributed to cancer hallmarks related to the pathogenesis of different types of malignant tumors. Herein, we discuss the DGCR5 expression pattern in various types of tumor tissues and relationships between DGCR5 expression and immune cell infiltration and immune purity. We also review our current understanding of DGCR5 in carcinogenesis and its potential application as a prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target in human cancers.