Non-Coding and Coding RNAs in Targeted Cancer Therapy

Dear Colleagues,

Many novel types of RNAs that are not translated into proteins have been detected and are transcribed from poorly characterized genomic regions. These regulatory RNAs have been denoted as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are widely classified into four categories: (i) long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), (ii) microRNAs (miRNAs), (iii) piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and (iv) circular RNAs (circRNAs). The ncRNAs have essential functions in maintaining cellular functions and the tissue's homeostasis. Nevertheless, it has been documented that regular expression of ncRNAs is frequently altered in human cancers. Therefore, they are involved in tumor initiation and progression, influencing the oncologic patients' prognosis and clinical outcomes. High-throughput and genomics technologies could massively detect and quantify the ncRNA populations, which could be visualized through interaction networks (lncRNAs/microRNAs/mRNAs). This represents an invaluable advancement in identifying the cellular processes in which these molecules are involved and related to cancer progression, which could be potentially druggable.

This Special Issue aims to collate original research and review articles that cover recent advances in understanding the role of regulatory ncRNAs, including microRNAs, lncRNAs, ceRNAs, and circular RNAs, in the mechanisms of cancer development and progression. Studies focused on the bioinformatic and functional characterizations of novel ncRNAs as potential biomarkers and describing ncRNA-based therapeutic approaches for targeting genes involved in cancer are especially welcome.

The topics to be covered in this collection include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Expression profiling of non-coding RNAs in cancer;
• Molecular mechanisms modulated by ncRNAs in human malignancies;
• Studies focused on the signaling pathways associated with ncRNA functions;
• Novel 3D cell cultures and organoid models for the analysis of ncRNAs;
• Role of ncRNAs in clinical resistance to chemo/radiotherapy in cancer;
• Applications of the system biology and bioinformatic tools in the prediction and validation of lncRNAs/microRNAs/mRNA interaction networks.

Prof. Dr. César López-Camarillo
Dr. Macrina B. Silva-Cázares
Guest Editors

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• gene expression
• non-coding RNAs
• lncRNAs
• microRNAs
• piwi-associated RNA
• circular RNAs
• therapeutic targets