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Biomolecules
Special Issues
The Role of Extracellular Non-Coding RNAs in Health and Disease
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The Role of Extracellular Non-Coding RNAs in Health and Disease

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biomarkers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 2233

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Arijit Mukhopadhyay

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Translational Medicine Unit, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
Interests: microRNAs in cancer; microRNA editing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Biomolecules entitled “The Role of Extracellular Non-Coding RNAs in Health and Disease.” Extracellular non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, have emerged as critical mediators of intercellular communication and powerful biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic monitoring. Their presence in biofluids and extracellular vesicles highlights their unique potential as minimally invasive tools for understanding disease mechanisms and advancing precision medicine. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews exploring the molecular biology, functional roles, and clinical applications of extracellular ncRNAs across a wide spectrum of human health and disease contexts. We invite contributions that expand our knowledge of extracellular RNA biology, from fundamental mechanistic insights to translational advances in biomarker discovery and therapeutic development.

Both original research articles and reviews are welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Arijit Mukhopadhyay
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Publisher’s Notice

The Special Issue has been shifted from Section Molecular Genetics to Section Molecular Biomarkers on 4 November 2025. At the time of the move, there were no publications in this Special Issue.

Keywords

  • extracellular vesicles
  • exosomes
  • non-coding RNA
  • microRNA
  • biomarker

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

18 pages, 648 KB  
Review
Exosomal MicroRNAs as Drivers of Desmoplasia and Treatment Resistance in Breast Cancer: Mechanisms, Biomarker Potential, and Therapeutic Opportunities
by Jun Chung and Young Hwa Soung
Biomolecules 2026, 16(5), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16050682 (registering DOI) - 5 May 2026
Viewed by 514
Abstract
Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are key mediators of intercellular communication in the breast cancer tumor microenvironment (TME), facilitating bidirectional signaling between malignant cells and the desmoplastic stroma. This review explores current evidence on their dual roles as drivers of stromal remodeling and as circulating [...] Read more.
Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are key mediators of intercellular communication in the breast cancer tumor microenvironment (TME), facilitating bidirectional signaling between malignant cells and the desmoplastic stroma. This review explores current evidence on their dual roles as drivers of stromal remodeling and as circulating biomarkers of therapeutic resistance across major breast cancer subtypes, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), hormone receptor-positive (ER+/PR+) disease, and HER2-amplified tumors. We outline how miR-9, miR-21, and miR-181 family members promote cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) activation, increase extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, and sustain a reverse Warburg phenotype. We then detail subtype-specific resistance mechanisms: miR-181 family members suppress BCLAF1 to block doxorubicin-induced apoptosis; miR-221/222 downregulates ESR1 and p27Kip1 to confer tamoxifen resistance; miR-155 impairs homologous recombination in TNBC; and miR-1246 sustains PI3K/AKT signaling in HER2-positive disease. We also evaluate circulating exosomal miRNA panels as liquid biopsy tools for predicting chemotherapy response and tracking resistance emergence. Finally, we discuss therapeutic strategies including antagomirs, miRNA replacement therapy and engineered exosome platforms, and address key challenges such as assay standardization and regulatory hurdles, that must be overcome for clinical translation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Extracellular Non-Coding RNAs in Health and Disease)
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29 pages, 2200 KB  
Review
MicroRNAs in Long COVID: Key Regulators, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets of Post-SARS-CoV-2 Sequelae
by Rawan Makki, Sondos Kassem-Moussa, Fatima Al Nemer, Rania El Majzoub, Hussein Fayyad-Kazan, Walid Rachidi, Bassam Badran and Mohammad Fayyad-Kazan
Biomolecules 2026, 16(2), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16020283 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1371
Abstract
COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is clinically defined by persistent symptoms that endure beyond acute infection and affect multiple organ systems, including the immune, cardiopulmonary, neurological, and metabolic axes. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly resolved, limiting the development of targeted [...] Read more.
COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is clinically defined by persistent symptoms that endure beyond acute infection and affect multiple organ systems, including the immune, cardiopulmonary, neurological, and metabolic axes. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly resolved, limiting the development of targeted diagnostics and therapeutics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, control inflammatory networks, antiviral responses, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and fibrotic pathways, all of which are implicated in long COVID pathogenesis. Recent studies show durable changes in circulating miRNA signatures months after recovery from the acute phase, suggesting a role in maintaining chronic immune activation and metabolic dysfunction. Importantly, circulating miRNAs are stable, quantifiable in biofluids, and reflect systems-level dysregulation, positioning them as promising biomarker candidates for patient stratification, symptom clustering, and disease monitoring. Moreover, miRNA-directed interventions, such as mimics and antagomiRs, represent an emerging precision-medicine strategy to correct sustained molecular disturbances. This review summarizes current evidence linking miRNAs to long COVID, highlights their biomarker potential, and discusses therapeutic avenues that may help advance mechanism-based interventions for this globally emerging chronic condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Extracellular Non-Coding RNAs in Health and Disease)
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