What Are Non-Coding RNAs and Their Role in Cancer?
Non-coding RNAs do not code for proteins but play crucial roles in regulating gene expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are two major types. In cancer, miRNAs can function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. For example, miR-21 is often upregulated in cancers and promotes tumor growth by inhibiting tumor suppressor genes. lncRNAs can also modulate gene expression through various mechanisms, including chromatin remodeling and transcriptional interference.
