Abstract
The latest investigations of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have revealed their important role in human cancers. LncRNAs are larger than 200 nucleotides in length and fulfill their cellular purpose without being translated into proteins. Though the molecular functions of some lncRNAs have been elucidated, there is still a high number of lncRNAs with unknown or controversial functions. In this review, we provide an overview of different lncRNAs and their role in human cancers. In particular, we emphasize their importance in tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer worldwide.
Highlights
After the sequencing of the human genome was finished in 2003, it became evident that only20,000 genes are protein-coding, while over 98% of all genes remain untranslated, giving rise toInt
The long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) is down-regulated in over 80% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC; squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma) compared to normal tissue which is positively correlated with tumor size and pathological stage [29]
Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) syndrom suffer from a germline mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene located on chromosome 5q21 following an autosomal dominant inheritance
Summary
After the sequencing of the human genome was finished in 2003, it became evident that only. NcRNAs are divided into two groups according to their length: the short ncRNAs, such as microRNA (miRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA), consisting of less than 200 nucleotides, and the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), sized from 200 nucleotides up to 100 kb [4]. Members of this second group are Xist (X-inactive-specific transcript), playing an important role in X-chromosome inactivation, HOTAIR (homeobox gene antisense intergenic RNA), and the imprinted H19—one of the first lncRNA genes being reported [5,6,7,8]. While functional lncRNAs are usually polyadenylated many of them remain un-polyadenylated, such as BC200 and Occt4-pg5 [10,11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
