The role of long, non-coding RNA in the biology of tumors

Abstract

One of the most significant events in recent years in the field of molecular biological research has been the recognition of the biological significance of non-coding ribonucleic acid (RNA). It turned out that a significant part of the non-coding part of the genome, which constitutes 98% of the genome, is rewritten. In addition to small RNAs (such as microRNAs (miRNA)), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are a large group of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) over 200 nucleotides in length, have been discovered. They play a role in the regulation of a number of basic molecular processes (cell division, chromatin function, microRNA activity, etc.). Many of these long non-coding RNAs were expressed in tumors compared with healthy tissues, for example, H19, HOX antisense intergenic RNA HOX (HOTAIR), Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1). A large amount of evidence revealed their roles at all stages of carcinogenesis and in modulating metastasis through regulatory networks. Aberrant expression of lncRNAs has been observed in cancer patients. In this context, lncRNAs can regulate the main characteristics of cancer cells by controlling gene expression programs associated with their suppressive and oncogenic functions. Therefore, they can be excellent biomarkers and therapeutic targets for tumors.

Keywords

• геном
• длинная некодирующая рнк
• опухоль
• микрорнк