Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a type of cancer with dismal prognosis. Surgery, chemo- and radiation therapy, as well as immune checkpoint-blocking immunotherapy lead to limited improvement of survival of patients; therapy resistance and recurrencies hamper these treatment modalities. Therefore, the identification of new targets and treatment approaches is of paramount importance. We have searched the literature and identified 7 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated non-coding RNAs, which showed efficacy in preclinical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-related in vitro and in vivo models, and discuss their diverse mode of actions. We excluded long non-coding RNAs, which act by sponging of microRNAs. It is presently unclear whether long non-coding RNA/protein, DNA and RNA interactions can be targeted with small molecules. We describe reconstitution therapy and inhibition of the corresponding long non-coding RNAs with small interfering RNAs and antisense oligonucleotides. Also, we discuss emerging targets for treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.