{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T11:52:44Z","timestamp":1780919564139,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":115,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765756800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002322","name":"Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002322","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008532","name":"Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008532","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"National Council for Scientific and Technological Development","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major global health challenge and often progresses to chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Growing evidence indicates that epigenetic regulation mediated by non-coding RNAs plays a critical role in viral pathogenesis and tumor development. This review provides an integrated overview of the functions of microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in HCV-induced liver injury. We highlight the dual roles of these molecules, demonstrating how some ncRNAs promote viral replication, whereas others act as tumor suppressors that become dysregulated during infection. Particular emphasis is placed on interaction networks in which lncRNAs and circRNAs function as molecular sponges for miRNAs, thereby modulating signaling pathways essential for hepatic homeostasis. Disruption of these networks contributes to a pro-inflammatory and pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. Finally, we discuss the potential of these transcripts as diagnostic biomarkers and as emerging therapeutic targets in HCV-associated HCC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms262412045","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T09:36:39Z","timestamp":1765791399000},"page":"12045","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Epigenetic Mechanisms Involved in Hcv Infection and Human HCC"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Ximenya Glauce da Cunha Freire","family":"Lopes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Program in Parasitic Biology (PPGBP), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9517-6823","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roque Ribeiro da","family":"Silva J\u00fanior","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Multicenter Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PPGMCF), Faculty of Health Sciences (FACS\/UERN), State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN), Mossoro 59610-090, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fernando Liberalino","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Multicenter Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PMBqBM), Faculty of Health Sciences (FACS\/UERN), State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN), Mossoro 59610-090, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura Andrade Cust\u00f3dio","family":"de Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vania Sousa","family":"Andrade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Program in Parasitic Biology (PPGBP), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fabiana Lima","family":"Bezerra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Program in Parasitic Biology (PPGBP), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9lio Maria Galv\u00e3o","family":"de Ara\u00fajo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Program in Parasitic Biology (PPGBP), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jenner Chrystian Ver\u00edssimo","family":"de Azevedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4559-8918","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thales Allyrio Ara\u00fajo de Medeiros","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Multicenter Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PPGMCF), Faculty of Health Sciences (FACS\/UERN), State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN), Mossoro 59610-090, Brazil"},{"name":"Multicenter Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PMBqBM), Faculty of Health Sciences (FACS\/UERN), State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN), Mossoro 59610-090, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9 Ver\u00edssimo","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Program in Parasitic Biology (PPGBP), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1126\/science.2523562","article-title":"Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome","volume":"244","author":"Choo","year":"1989","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1099\/jgv.0.000672","article-title":"ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Flaviviridae","volume":"98","author":"Simmonds","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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