Long Non-coding RNAs in Cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as cardinal biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of cancers as well as precise therapeutic targets against cancers. Through their interactions with multiple macromolecules in the cell, they regulate diverse array of cellular responses. Dysregulated expression and functional regulation of the lncRNAs have been associated with the genesis and progression of many cancers. Their potential to form vast network of interactomes involving DNA, RNA, and proteins enables them to have a complex functional repertoire. LncRNAs localize within the nucleus, cytosol, and other subcellular compartments to execute their functions in regulating tumor genesis and progression. LncRNAs act as molecular signals, guides, scaffolds, and decoys in executing either the tumor-promoting or -suppressing roles within the cancer cells. However, further advancements are required for pre-clinical validations that can warrant lncRNA-based therapeutics for the clinical trials. This book chapter reviews the diverse mechanisms of action, both within the nucleus and the cytoplasm, that enables them to regulate tumorigenesis.