Circulating Long Non-Coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Management

Purpose Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) representing the majority of cases. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression and contributors to tumorigenesis, presenting potential as novel biomarkers. This study investigated circulating lncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in NSCLC. Experimental Design We established and analyzed a sensitive and robust plasma RNA-seq workflow of 61 individuals, including patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD, n=23), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC, n=23), and healthy controls (n=15). Differential expression analysis was performed using both pan-transcriptomic profiling and a targeted panel of 143 lung cancer-specific lncRNAs to identify significantly up-regulated candidates.