Abstract:

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are functional RNA transcripts, which do not have an open-reading frame and cannot be translated into protein. ncRNAs have mediator roles in the transcription and the post-transcription processes and have numerous cellular functions which still continue to be explored. The best known members of ncRNAs, the microRNAs (miRNAs), are small RNA molecules (~22 nt) which regulate the expressions of the targeted genes by either leading transcriptional repression or mRNA degradation. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which are longer than 200 nucleotides, are heterogeneous RNAs which have many subclasses. These RNA molecules, by interacting with DNA or proteins, play key roles in chromatin remodeling, histone modification, and transcriptional and translational regulation of gene expression. miRNAs and lncRNAs are irregularly expressed in many types of cancer including prostate cancer. The present review discusses the importance of miRNA, lncRNA, and other ncRNAs in the molecular biology of prostate cancer and emphasizes their employability in the diagnosis and the targeted therapy to prostate cancer.

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