Therapeutic Potential of Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as crucial players in the landscape of cancer biology, challenging the long-held paradigm that primarily focused on protein-coding genes. The human genome is predominantly transcribed into non-coding RNAs, which do not encode proteins but instead participate in a myriad of regulatory functions vital for cellular homeostasis and pathology. Recent advancements in genomics and molecular biology have unveiled the complexity and diversity of ncRNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). In this review, the mechanisms by which ncRNAs influence cancer biology and their potential therapeutic applications will be explored in depth.