What Are the Key Roles of Non-Coding RNAs in Disease Mechanisms?
NcRNAs are involved in various disease mechanisms through their regulatory functions. For example: - miRNAs: These small ncRNAs regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by binding to complementary sequences on target mRNAs, leading to their degradation or inhibition of translation. Dysregulation of miRNAs has been linked to various diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. - lncRNAs: These longer ncRNAs can interact with DNA, RNA, and proteins to regulate gene expression at multiple levels, including chromatin modification, transcription, and post-transcriptional processing. Aberrant expression of lncRNAs has been implicated in cancer, neurological disorders, and other chronic conditions. - siRNAs: These small ncRNAs are involved in the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, where they mediate the degradation of specific mRNAs, thereby regulating gene expression. siRNAs have therapeutic potential in silencing disease-causing genes.
