Non-coding RNAs in Cancer: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs have gathered significant attention for their unique roles in biological regulation. Across a
broad spectrum of developmental processes and diseases, particularly in human malignancies, ncRNAs play
pivotal roles in regulatory mechanisms. MicroRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and small nucleolar RNAs stand out
among the diverse forms of ncRNAs that have been implicated in cancer. MiRNAs, classified as short non-coding
RNAs, modulate gene expression by binding to messenger RNA molecules, thereby inhibiting their translation.
Altered miRNA expression has been associated with the onset and progression of various malignancies, including
lung, breast, and prostate cancer. In contrast, lncRNAs, characterized as longer ncRNAs, exert control over gene
expression through various mechanisms, such as chromatin remodelling and gene silencing. This review offers a
comprehensive examination of the numerous ncRNAs that have emerged as crucial regulators of gene expression,
playing implicated roles in the initiation and progression of diverse cancers