Cervical cancer (CC) continues to be one of the leading causes of death for women across the world. Although it has been determined that papillomavirus infection is one of the main causes of the etiology of the disease, genetic and epigenetic factors are also required for its progression. Among the epigenetic factors are included the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), transcripts of more than 200 nucleotides (nt) that generally do not code for proteins and have been associated with diverse functions such as the regulation of transcription, translation, RNA metabolism, as well as stem cell maintenance and differentiation, cell autophagy and apoptosis. Recently, studies have begun to characterize the aberrant regulation of lncRNAs in CC cells and tissues, including Homeobox transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), H19, Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), Cervical Carcinoma High-Expressed 1 (CCHE1), Antisense noncoding RNA in the inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (ANRIL), Growth arrest special 5 (GAS5) and Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1). They have been associated with several disease-related processes such as cell growth, cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis and invasion as well as therapeutic resistance, and are novel potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in CC. In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding the knowledge we have about the roles and mechanisms of the lncRNAs in cervical neoplasia.

Objective. To describe the epidemiological behavior of leprosy in several Latin American countries during 2011-2020, based on World Health Organization (WHO) indicators. Methods. Cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study with official data on incidence and prevalence in the general population, children, clinical form and cases with grade 2 disability from WHO records between 2011 and 2020. The eight countries in Latin America that reported most cases were selected and analyses were carried out using simple descriptive and comparative statistics between different variables. Results. During the study period, 301 312 cases of leprosy were reported in the selected countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela. Brazil is the only country in the region with a prevalence greater than 1 per 10 000, representing 93.77% of all cases. Brazil and the Dominican Republic showed an increase in prevalence during 2011-2019, while in other countries the trend was decreasing. The disease is more frequent in men, and multibacillary cases significantly exceed paucibacillary ones. Brazil showed the highest incidences of cases of childhood leprosy and grade 2 disability during the evaluated period. Conclusion. In Latin America, leprosy is only considered a public health problem in Brazil; however, most countries in the region continue to report cases annually, revealing a lack of adequate medical care. This study confirmed the importance of active surveillance, early diagnosis and planning of actions against the disease in all the countries evaluated with the aim of reducing its transmission.

Leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite persistent efforts to combat it leprosy remains a significant public health concern particularly in developing countries. The underlying pathophysiology of the disease is not yet fully understood hindering the development of effective treatment strategies. However, recent studies have shed light on the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA molecules that can regulate gene expression, as promising biomarkers in various disease, including leprosy. This study aimed to validate a set of nine circulating miRNAs to propose new biomarkers for early diagnosis of the disease. Hsa-miR-16-5p, hsa-miR-106b-5p, hsa-miR-1291, hsa-miR-144-5p, and hsa-miR-20a-5p showed significant differential expression between non-leprosy group (non-LP) and leprosy group (LP), accurately discriminating between them (AUC > 0.75). In addition, our study revealed gender-based differences in miRNA expression in LP. Notably, hsa-miR-1291 showed higher expression in male LP, suggesting its potential as a male-specific biomarker. Similarly, hsa-miR-16-5p and hsa-miR-20a-5p displayed elevated expression in female LP, indicating their potential as female-specific biomarkers. Additionally, several studied miRNAs are involved in the dysregulation of apoptosis, autophagy, mitophagy, cell cycle, and immune system in leprosy. In conclusion, the validation of miRNA expression highlights several miRNAs as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and provides new insights into the pathogenesis of the disease.

The complex interaction between nutrition, epigenetics, and epigenomics in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and cancer highlights the crucial role of nutrition as an environmental factor influencing gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and regulation through non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). The aim of this review is to explore the importance of interactions between nutrition-epigenetics interactions in the pathogenesis of NCDs and in the development of personalized prevention and treatment strategies. These nutriepigenetic and nutriepigenomic processes are fundamental for understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of NCDs development. Diet plays a central role in modulating gene expression, and studies indicate how nutrients and bioactive compounds in food can directly affect epigenetic patterns, influencing the risk and progression of NCDs. For example, dietary effects on DNA methylation and miRNA expression have been associated with changes in susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and T2DM. Additionally, phytochemicals such as curcumin, genistein, quercetin, equol, among others found in certain foods can epigenetically modulate gene expression, playing a role in cancer prevention. The complexity of nutriepigenetic and nutriepigenomic systems highlights the need for a personalized approach to disease prevention and treatment. Understanding how diet influences epigenetic patterns can provide crucial insights for the development of more targeted and effective therapeutic strategies, ultimately underscoring the growing translational value of nutriepigenetics and nutriepigenomics in advancing precision medicine and informing population-level interventions, reinforcing their clinical, preventive, and societal impact in mitigating the burden of NCDs.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive molecular subtype of breast cancer, characterized by significant heterogeneity and high recurrence rates. Due to this heterogeneity, TNBC often develops resistance to chemotherapy, leading to aggressive clinical behavior and poor prognosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), defined as RNAs longer than 500 nucleotides that act at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, influence therapeutic responses in TNBC through various molecular mechanisms, thereby directly impacting treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes. Importantly, lncRNAs have a dual, context-dependent role in TNBC, either promoting chemoresistance or enhancing chemosensitivity by functioning as competing endogenous RNAs, regulating epigenetic processes, stabilizing mRNAs and proteins, and affecting DNA damage repair, apoptosis, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and pro-survival signaling pathways. These functions indicate their potential as therapeutic targets and biomarkers for personalized treatment. In this review, we examine the biological functions of lncRNAs in TNBC, highlighting their molecular mechanisms and clinical significance. We also review evidence on how lncRNAs contribute to therapeutic resistance and sensitivity and explore emerging perspectives on their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for TNBC management.