Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA molecules longer than 200 nucleotides that do not encode proteins yet play surprisingly broad roles in controlling how genes are switched on or off, how chromatin is physically organized, and how cells commit to specific identities during development. In cancer, lncRNAs are frequently dysregulated, and researchers are working to understand whether they drive tumor formation directly — by rewiring transcriptional programs or acting as molecular sponges that sequester regulatory microRNAs — or whether their altered expression is largely a consequence of the disease. A central challenge is moving from cataloguing thousands of lncRNAs identified in genomic surveys to establishing clear functional classifications and mechanistic explanations for how individual molecules interact with chromatin-modifying complexes, transcription factors, and competing endogenous RNA networks. Active research directions include pinpointing which lncRNAs are viable therapeutic targets and determining how their context-dependent behavior across different cell types complicates both disease modeling and treatment design.

Works

126,052

Total citations

2,234,528

Keywords

Long Noncoding RNAsCancerRNA RegulationEpigenetic RegulationTranscriptional LandscapeCell Differentiation