Non-coding RNAs in Cellular Differentiation, Development, and Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Since the discovery of the genetic code, the primary paradigm has been that a DNA blueprint encodes RNA messengers, which are then translated into functional proteins. The proteins were considered as the ultimate workhorses in this hierarchy. In the last three decades, however, the paradigm that proteins are the sole players of the genetic code has changed. With the release of the human genome sequence and transcriptome analyses, it has become clear that only a small fraction of the genome encodes proteins. The large proportion of the non-protein-coding genome gives rise to various regulatory RNA molecules, collectively known as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Although the ncRNAs were considered as evolutionary junk in the past, cumulative evidence suggests the significant impact of these molecules in numerous biological functions, including cellular differentiation, development, and disease.

Diverse classes of non-coding RNAs have been identified in the mammalian genome, broadly classified based on their length as small and long ncRNAs. Small ncRNAs are again classified as micro and non-micro small RNAs. MicroRNAs regulate post-transcriptional gene expression and are implicated in almost all aspects of biological processes. The non-micro small RNAs are relatively new but seem to have critical biological functions. On the other hand, long ncRNAs play a biological role through diverse mechanisms. Long ncRNAs are versatile molecules that can interact physically with DNA, protein, and RNA either through nucleotide base pairing or via the formation of a secondary structure and regulation of gene expression. Growing evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs regulate almost every necessary cellular process, and the expression of these molecules is strictly regulated in normal physiological conditions. Since the expression of ncRNAs is dysregulated in numerous human diseases, these molecules have a great potential to be used as a new generation of therapeutic and diagnostic molecules.

This Special Issue aims to publish research and review articles covering the verities of these ncRNA molecules in differentiation, development, and disease.

Dr. Bijan K. Dey
Dr. Sanjeev Gupta
Guest Editors

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• non-coding RNAs
• microRNAs
• small RNAs
• differentiation
• development
• regeneration
• disease
• therapeutics
• diagnostics