RNA Therapeutics: From Concepts to Applications

A special issue of Non-Coding RNA (ISSN 2311-553X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Applications of Non-Coding RNA".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 11817

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Microbial Sciences, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Stag Hill Campus 19AX01, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
Interests: posttranscriptional gene regulation; RNA-binding proteins; non-coding RNA; translational control; ribonomics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

RNA has moved into the spotlight as a promising target and effector for therapeutic intervention. While a variety of RNA-targeting approaches have already been developed and evaluated, recent breakthroughs with small non-coding RNAs and RNA-based vaccines showcase the great potential and nurture further development and expansion of RNA therapeutic approaches.

For this Special Issue, we welcome the contribution of research or review manuscripts in the broad area of RNA therapeutics. This could cover (i) the development, testing, and delivery of small antisense oligonucleotides and/or antagomirs for gene expression modulation and correction; (ii) the screening, validation, delivery and efficacy testing of small molecules/drugs that interfere with or consolidate RNA-RNA or RNA-protein interactions; (iii) the implementation of long ncRNA (lncRNA) and mRNA for therapeutics; and (iv) recent progress in the delivery of RNAs to particular cells/tissues. Critical reviews that highlight the advantages and disadvantages of RNA therapeutic approaches, including provocative statements and opinions on future developments are also particularly welcome.

Essentially, this Special Issue shall provide a broad perspective of current approaches and future developments in RNA therapeutics, with an emphasis on ncRNAs as a target or drug for therapeutic intervention and eventual curation of human disease.

Prof. Dr. André P. Gerber
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Gene therapy
  • ncRNA
  • antisense oligonucleotides
  • small molecules
  • drug development
  • RNA-RNA interactions
  • RNA-protein interactions
  • RNA processing
  • human disease

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 4827 KiB  
Article
LncRNA TP53TG1 Promotes the Growth and Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Activation of ERK Signaling
by Qingchun Lu, Qian Guo, Mingyang Xin, Casey Lim, Ana M. Gamero, Glenn S. Gerhard and Ling Yang
Non-Coding RNA 2021, 7(3), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna7030052 - 28 Aug 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3451
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TP53 target 1 (TP53TG1) was discovered as a TP53 target gene. TP53TG1 has been reported as having dual roles by exerting tumor-suppressive and oncogenic activities that vary depending on the cancer type. Yet, the role of TP53TG1 in hepatocellular [...] Read more.
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TP53 target 1 (TP53TG1) was discovered as a TP53 target gene. TP53TG1 has been reported as having dual roles by exerting tumor-suppressive and oncogenic activities that vary depending on the cancer type. Yet, the role of TP53TG1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not fully understood. In this study, we performed both gain- and loss-of-function studies to determine the biological role of TP53TG1 in HCC. We found that the knockdown of TP53 in HCC cells caused the upregulation of TP53TG1. Furthermore, we found that the knockdown of TP53TG1 not only suppressed HCC cell proliferation and migration, but also reduced intrinsic ERK signaling. In contrast, the overexpression of TP53TG1 increased ERK activation and enhanced HCC proliferation. In conclusion, our study reveals an oncogenic role of TP53TG1 in HCC, which provides a novel insight into the cell-type-specific function of TP53TG1 in HCC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RNA Therapeutics: From Concepts to Applications)
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16 pages, 3013 KiB  
Article
MicroRNAs and Long Non-Coding RNAs as Potential Candidates to Target Specific Motifs of SARS-CoV-2
by Lucia Natarelli, Luca Parca, Tommaso Mazza, Christian Weber, Fabio Virgili and Deborah Fratantonio
Non-Coding RNA 2021, 7(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna7010014 - 18 Feb 2021
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 7343
Abstract
The respiratory system is one of the most affected targets of SARS-CoV-2. Various therapies have been utilized to counter viral-induced inflammatory complications, with diverse success rates. Pending the distribution of an effective vaccine to the whole population and the achievement of “herd immunity”, [...] Read more.
The respiratory system is one of the most affected targets of SARS-CoV-2. Various therapies have been utilized to counter viral-induced inflammatory complications, with diverse success rates. Pending the distribution of an effective vaccine to the whole population and the achievement of “herd immunity”, the discovery of novel specific therapies is to be considered a very important objective. Here, we report a computational study demonstrating the existence of target motifs in the SARS-CoV-2 genome suitable for specific binding with endogenous human micro and long non-coding RNAs (miRNAs and lncRNAs, respectively), which can, therefore, be considered a conceptual background for the development of miRNA-based drugs against COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 genome contains three motifs in the 5′UTR leader sequence recognized by selective nucleotides within the seed sequence of specific human miRNAs. The seed of 57 microRNAs contained a “GGG” motif that promoted leader sequence-recognition, primarily through offset-6mer sites able to promote microRNAs noncanonical binding to viral RNA. Similarly, lncRNA H19 binds to the 5′UTR of the viral genome and, more specifically, to the transcript of the viral gene Spike, which has a pivotal role in viral infection. Notably, some of the non-coding RNAs identified in our study as candidates for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 gene expression have already been proposed against diverse viral infections, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and related diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue RNA Therapeutics: From Concepts to Applications)
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