Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.0
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
Non-Coding RNAs’ Functionality—Diagnosis and Therapy in Cancer and Other Indications...
ijms-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Non-Coding RNAs’ Functionality—Diagnosis and Therapy in Cancer and Other Indications (2nd Edition)

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 4078

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mohamed Raafat El-Gewely

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
Interests: molecular biology; genetic and protein engineering; noncoding RNAs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Only a small fraction of transcribed RNAs are translated to proteins and involved in the central dogma. The overwhelming majority of transcribed RNA is not translated to protein and is thus termed non-coding RNA. However, this does not mean that transcribed non-coding RNAs do not have important cellular functions. Research has indicated multiple functions for non-coding RNA, which include it having epigenetic effects on other coding mRNAs and regulating multiple cellular functions, such as protein expression and localization, cell proliferation, cancer, cell apoptotic death, the cell cycle, cell migration and invasiveness, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer stem cells, and drug resistance in cancer.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on the vital functional roles of the main types of non-coding RNAs expressed in cancer, as well as the state of the art, to monitor their aberrational expression in cancer diagnoses and their therapeutic potential.

Volume I of this Special Issue: “Non-coding RNAs' Functionality-Diagnosis and Therapy in Cancer and Other Indications”

Prof. Dr. Mohamed Raafat El-Gewely
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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.

Keywords

  • non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)
  • long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs)
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs)
  • circular RNAs (circRNAs)
  • epigenetic and post-transcriptional regulation
  • epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)
  • cell proliferation and Apoptosis
  • biomarkers and Liquid biopsy
  • RNA-based therapeutics
  • next-generation sequencing (NGS)
  • CRISPR/Cas9 screening
  • single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)
  • RNA interference (RNAi)
  • cancer stem cells
  • early cancer diagnosis

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 1662 KB  
Article
Approach to Design of Potent RNA Interference-Based Preparations Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Related Genes
by Petr V. Chernov, Vladimir N. Ivanov, Nikolai A. Dmitriev, Artem E. Gusev, Valeriia I. Kovchina, Ivan S. Gongadze, Alexander V. Kholstov, Maiia V. Popova, Dmitry A. Kudlay, Daria S. Kryuchko, Ilya A. Kofiadi and Musa R. Khaitov
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(2), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27020603 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 698
Abstract
Every year, the scientific community continues to drive advances in healthcare, opening up new perspectives in the treatment and management of various diseases. Despite vast strides being made in the quality of life and longevity, we still face an equally significant growth in [...] Read more.
Every year, the scientific community continues to drive advances in healthcare, opening up new perspectives in the treatment and management of various diseases. Despite vast strides being made in the quality of life and longevity, we still face an equally significant growth in the burden of oncological pathologies. Although current trends lean towards preventive and personalized medicine, numerous hurdles remain to be cleared to develop robust strategies in the field of oncology. Among all types of tumors, one of the prominent positions is occupied by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is one of the most widespread primary cancers with a high mortality rate. Conventional approaches to HCC therapy, such as surgery or chemotherapy, rarely provide steady performance due to the highly polymorphous nature of the cancerous process. In this study, we suggest an alternative methodological framework for designing potent siRNAs targeting genes implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma, implementing RNA interference mediated by synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against mRNAs of ITGB1 and CD47 genes. Products of these genes are renowned drivers of tumor progression. We have developed a software algorithm for the design of unmodified and modified siRNAs, carried out solid-phase synthesis of the most promising molecules, and proved their capability to perform a more than 50-fold suppression of expression of the target genes in vitro. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding RNAs’ Functionality—Diagnosis and Therapy in Cancer and Other Indications (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 3057 KB  
Article
Venous Thrombogenesis and Cervical Cancer: Plasma MicroRNAs as Prognostic Indicators of Tumor Behavior
by Mariana Teixeira Costa, Beatriz Vieira Neto, José Brito da Silva, Luísa Carvalho, Lurdes Salgado, Deolinda Pereira, Filomena Adega, Valéria Tavares and Rui Medeiros
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(19), 9796; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199796 - 8 Oct 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1456
Abstract
Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, with venous thromboembolism (VTE) representing a life-threatening complication. Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) arises from tumor-driven activation of hemostasis, worsening prognosis. Recently, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential biomarkers for both CAT [...] Read more.
Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, with venous thromboembolism (VTE) representing a life-threatening complication. Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) arises from tumor-driven activation of hemostasis, worsening prognosis. Recently, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential biomarkers for both CAT and cervical tumorigenesis. Thus, this study aimed to assess the implications of five miRNAs—miR-20a-5p, -23a-3p, -125b-5p, -145-5p, and -616-3p—in CC-related VTE context. These miRNAs were quantified by RT-qPCR in plasma from 69 CC patients before treatment. Briefly, VTE occurred in nine patients, decreasing overall survival (OS) [log-rank test, p = 0.005; hazard ratio (HR) = 4.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.42–16.05]. Lower miR-20a-5p levels predicted VTE (ꭓ2 test, p = 0.027) and, in subgroup analyses, they were linked to cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and older age (ꭓ2 test, p = 0.003 and p = 0.043, respectively). In VTE patients, miR-145-5p downregulation was associated with improved OS (log-rank test, p = 0.018), an effect also observed in the adenocarcinoma (ADC) subgroup (log-rank test, p = 0.039). The remaining miRNAs showed subtype-specific links to clinicopathological features and survival. These findings highlight the potential value of circulating miRNAs in thrombotic risk and prognosis assessment in CC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding RNAs’ Functionality—Diagnosis and Therapy in Cancer and Other Indications (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 712 KB  
Review
Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers for Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review
by Jesús Alejandro Pineda-Migranas, Juan Carlos Bravata-Alcántara, Iliana Alejandra Cortés-Ortíz, Enoc Mariano Cortés-Malagón, María de los Ángeles Romero-Tlalolini, Mónica Sierra-Martínez and Gustavo Acosta-Altamirano
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(21), 10503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262110503 - 29 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1520
Abstract
Cervical cancer remains a significant public health priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this context, liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive method for detecting and monitoring molecular biomarkers, offering advantages over traditional screening approaches. This systematic review included 21 [...] Read more.
Cervical cancer remains a significant public health priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this context, liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive method for detecting and monitoring molecular biomarkers, offering advantages over traditional screening approaches. This systematic review included 21 studies published between 2015 and 2025 and was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. The analysis examined the role of serum cytokines, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), and circulating cell-free HPV DNA (cfHPV-DNA) in patients with cervical cancer or high-grade intraepithelial lesions. Circulating miRNAs—particularly miR-21, miR-29a, and miR-34a—are consistently associated with recurrence, tumor progression, and reduced survival. However, their immediate clinical translation remains limited by methodological variability and the lack of universal normalizers. In contrast, cfHPV-DNA, especially with ddPCR, exhibited the best study-level performance, with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of approximately 80–88%, across heterogeneous endpoints and analytic conditions. Consequently, cfHPV-DNA represents a promising tool for post-treatment surveillance and early detection of recurrence. Serum cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10, reflect inflammation and the tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, their lack of standardization and variability across detection platforms restricts their reproducibility, positioning them as complementary rather than stand-alone markers. In conclusion, the evidence supports liquid biopsy as a promising tool in cervical cancer management; nonetheless, only cfHPV-DNA is currently ready for clinical application, whereas miRNAs and cytokines require multicenter validation and technical standardization before implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding RNAs’ Functionality—Diagnosis and Therapy in Cancer and Other Indications (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop