An updated review of the role of lncRNAs and their contribution in various molecular subtypes of breast cancer

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is the most significant threat to women’s life. To demonstrate its molecular mechanisms, which results in BC progression, it is crucial to develop approaches to enhance prognosis and survival in BC cases.Areas covered: In the current study, we aimed to highlight the updated data on the oncogenic and tumor suppressive roles of lncRNAs in the progression of various subtypes of BC by specifically putting importance on the functional characteristics, modulatory agents, therapeutic potential, future perspectives and challenges of lncRNAs in BC. We reviewed recent studies published between 2019 and 2020.Expert opinion: The latest investigations have demonstrated that the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in different BC molecular subtypes via different molecular mechanisms; however, the exact functional information of the lncRNAs has yet to be elucidated. The studied lncRNAs could be more applicable as therapeutic targets in BC treatment after pre-clinical and clinical studies.