Non-coding RNAs and Cancer Genetics

A special issue of Non-Coding RNA (ISSN 2311-553X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2021) | Viewed by 8239

Special Issue Editor

Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: human genetics; cancer genetics; genetic of microRNAs; somatic variation of microRNA genes in cancer; development of mutation detection methods and approaches; circular RNA in myotonic dystrophy (DM1); copy number variation and copy number detection methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite substantial progress in cancer treatment in recent years, mostly related to the breakthrough and development of new targeted therapies, the overall effectiveness of most cancer treatments is still far from being satisfactory. Therefore, new cancer biomarkers and new targets for cancer treatments are still needed. Among the most promising cancer biomarkers as well as potential targets for cancer therapies are different classes of non-coding RNA (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) that act as key regulators of gene expression. Important factors that make ncRNAs (especially classes of short non-coding RNAs) promising biomarkers are the presence and stability of cancer-derived ncRNAs, as extracellular circulating RNAs, in easily accessible body fluids, including blood.

An important aspect of cancer development is accumulation in cancer genome of numerous somatic mutations. Although only a few of these mutations are variants that drive cancer, i.e., loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressor genes and gain-of-function mutations in oncogenes, many such driver mutations have been identified in protein-coding genes and are used as important cancer biomarkers and personalized targets in cancer treatment. However, very little (close to nothing) is known about the somatic variants in ncRNA genes. Therefore, in this Special Issue, we would like to focus especially on submissions related to the somatic variation of ncRNA genes, including studies developing new molecular, statistical or computational tools for identification and characterization of non-coding driver mutations, but we will also welcome studies related to identification, characterization of function, and utilization of ncRNAs in different aspects of cancer.

Prof. Piotr Kozłowski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Non-Coding RNA is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microRNA (miRNA)
  • long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)
  • circular RNA (circRNA)
  • circulating RNA
  • somatic mutations
  • driver mutations
  • lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer
  • biomarkers
  • competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs)

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

14 pages, 726 KiB  
Review
Fusion Genes and RNAs in Cancer Development
by Kenzui Taniue and Nobuyoshi Akimitsu
Non-Coding RNA 2021, 7(1), 10; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ncrna7010010 - 04 Feb 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 7530
Abstract
Fusion RNAs are a hallmark of some cancers. They result either from chromosomal rearrangements or from splicing mechanisms that are non-chromosomal rearrangements. Chromosomal rearrangements that result in gene fusions are particularly prevalent in sarcomas and hematopoietic malignancies; they are also common in solid [...] Read more.
Fusion RNAs are a hallmark of some cancers. They result either from chromosomal rearrangements or from splicing mechanisms that are non-chromosomal rearrangements. Chromosomal rearrangements that result in gene fusions are particularly prevalent in sarcomas and hematopoietic malignancies; they are also common in solid tumors. The splicing process can also give rise to more complex RNA patterns in cells. Gene fusions frequently affect tyrosine kinases, chromatin regulators, or transcription factors, and can cause constitutive activation, enhancement of downstream signaling, and tumor development, as major drivers of oncogenesis. In addition, some fusion RNAs have been shown to function as noncoding RNAs and to affect cancer progression. Fusion genes and RNAs will therefore become increasingly important as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for cancer development. Here, we discuss the function, biogenesis, detection, clinical relevance, and therapeutic implications of oncogenic fusion genes and RNAs in cancer development. Further understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate how fusion RNAs form in cancers is critical to the development of therapeutic strategies against tumorigenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-coding RNAs and Cancer Genetics)
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