The Emergence of Non-coding RNAs as Versatile and Efficient Therapeutic Tools

VASCHETTO, LUIS MARÍA

CURRENT GENE THERAPY

BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD

Año: 2019 vol. 19 p. 289 - 289

1566-5232

In the last decades, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators capable of modulating gene expression both at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels [1, 2]. In mammalian cells, ncRNAs have been used to downregulate the expression of genes in a sequence-specific manner via the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway; however, short ncRNAs capable of inducing gene expression have also been reported [3, 4]. According to their size, ncRNAs are classified into long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (>200 nucleotides in length) and small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) (< 200 nucleotides), the last being in turn subdivided based on their mechanisms of biogenesis and function into different types including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and small activating RNAs (saRNAs). ncRNAs represent promising therapeutic agents/targets for treatment of complex diseases like cancer, and these molecules have also been reported to act as biomarkers in disease diagnosis and prognosis [5-11]. Since targeted delivery of ncRNAs has shown promise results in controlling gene expression, it is expected that these molecules will enable the development of personalized therapies for different diseases and genetic disorders, therefore being of great interest for gene therapy and therapeutics.