Noncoding-RNA-Based Therapeutics with an Emphasis on Prostatic Carcinoma—Progress and Challenges

Abstract

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) defy the central dogma by representing a family of RNA molecules that are not translated into protein but can convey information encoded in their DNA. Elucidating the exact function of ncRNA has been a focus of discovery in the last decade and remains challenging. Nevertheless, the importance of understanding ncRNA is apparent since these molecules regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level exerting pleiotropic effects critical in development, oncogenesis, and immunity. NcRNAs have been referred to as “the dark matter of the nucleus”, and unraveling their role in physiologic and pathologic processes will provide vast opportunities for basic and translational research with the potential for significant therapeutic progress. Consequently, strong efforts are underway to exploit the therapeutic utility of ncRNA, some of which have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. The use of ncRNA therapeutics (or “vaccines” if defined as anti-disease agents) may result in improved curative strategies when used alone or in combination with existing treatments. This review will focus on the role of ncRNA therapeutics in prostatic carcinoma while exploring basic biological aspects of these molecules that represent about 97% of the transcriptome in humans.

Epigenetic Regulation in Exposome-Induced Tumorigenesis: Emerging Roles of ncRNAs

“…Since ncRNAs have a functional role in modulating the expression of multiple downstream gene targets and associated pathways in cancer and other diseases, there is a rationale that suggests that ncRNAs-based therapies are promising as therapeutic options [176]. Different ncRNA-based strategies have been proposed for therapeutical purposes: small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), anti-microRNAs (anti-miRNAs), miRNA mimics, miRNA sponges, therapeutic circular RNAs (cirRNAs), and CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing [281]. Several clinical trials have confirmed that ncRNAs are successful for the treatment of complex diseases including cancer [176,282].…”