Noncoding RNAs: Immunity, Mechanisms, and Biomarker Potential
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 13
Special Issue Editor
Interests: immune checkpoint regulation; cell and immune therapies; tumor–immune interactions; noncoding RNAs; liquid biopsy approaches; comparative oncology models
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs, are now recognized as critical regulators of cancer biology beyond their noncoding nature. Mechanistically, ncRNAs modulate immune responses by controlling T cell activation, immune checkpoint expression, antigen presentation, and cytokine signaling. For example, miR-155 enhances T cell effector function, while lncRNAs such as MALAT1 and NEAT1 regulate macrophage polarization and PD-L1 expression, shaping the tumor microenvironment. Dysregulated ncRNAs can impair immune surveillance and promote tumor immune evasion, highlighting their dual role as oncogenic drivers or tumor suppressors. Importantly, their remarkable stability in circulation and enrichment in exosomes make ncRNAs promising liquid biopsy biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of immunotherapy response. As both regulators and readouts of tumor–immune interactions, ncRNAs represent powerful tools for advancing cancer immunology and precision immunotherapy.
Dr. Md Mahfuzur Rahman
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs)
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs)
- long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs)
- circular RNAs (circRNAs)
- immune regulation
- tumor microenvironment
- immune checkpoints
- cancer immunotherapy
- liquid biopsy biomarkers
- immune evasion
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