Non-coding RNAs represent a significant proportion of the human genome. After having been considered as ‘junk’ for a long time, non-coding RNAs are now well established as playing important roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and functions. Some non-coding RNAs show cell- and tissue-specific expression patterns and are specifically deregulated under pathological conditions (e.g. cancer). Therefore, non-coding RNAs have been extensively studied as potential biomarkers in the context of different diseases with a focus on microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) for several years. Since their discovery, miRNAs have attracted more attention than lncRNAs in research studies; however, both families of non-coding RNAs have been established to play an important role in gene expression control, either as transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulators. Both miRNAs and lncRNAs can regulate key genes involved in the development of cancer, thus influencing tumour growth, invasion, and metastasis by increasing the activation of oncogenic pathways and limiting the expression of tumour suppressors. Furthermore, miRNAs and lncRNAs are also emerging as important mediators in drug-sensitivity and drug-resistance mechanisms. In the light of these premises, a number of pre-clinical and early clinical studies are exploring the potential of non-coding RNAs as new therapeutics. The aim of this review is to summarise the latest knowledge of the use of miRNAs and lncRNAs as therapeutic tools for cancer treatment.

中文翻译：

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MicroRNA (miRNA) 和长非编码 RNA (lncRNA) 作为癌症治疗新工具：从实验室到临床的第一步。


非编码 RNA 占人类基因组的很大一部分。非编码 RNA 长期以来被认为是“垃圾”，现在已被证实在维持细胞稳态和功能方面发挥着重要作用。一些非编码RNA表现出细胞和组织特异性表达模式并且在病理条件（例如癌症）下特异性失调。因此，非编码 RNA 作为不同疾病背景下的潜在生物标志物已被广泛研究，多年来重点关注 microRNA (miRNA) 和长非编码 RNA (lncRNA)。自从被发现以来，miRNA 在研究中比 lncRNA 引起了更多的关注；然而，这两个非编码 RNA 家族都已被证实在基因表达控制中发挥着重要作用，无论是作为转录还是转录后调节因子。 miRNA和lncRNA都可以调节参与癌症发生的关键基因，从而通过增加致癌途径的激活和限制肿瘤抑制因子的表达来影响肿瘤的生长、侵袭和转移。此外，miRNA 和 lncRNA 也正在成为药物敏感性和耐药机制中的重要介质。鉴于这些前提，许多临床前和早期临床研究正在探索非编码 RNA 作为新疗法的潜力。本综述的目的是总结使用 miRNA 和 lncRNA 作为癌症治疗工具的最新知识。