Non-Coding RNA in Multiple Myeloma

Dear Colleagues,

Multiple Myeloma is one of the most common and aggressive hematologic tumors, characterized by different subtypes, presentation and clinical course. The definition of molecular and prognostic subgroups is affected by great genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity mostly, but not exclusively, associated with structural rearrangements (ploidy alteration, translocations, gene mutations). In the last years, several studies using high-throughput technologies have contributed to depict in details the genetic architecture of the disease. Despite the great amount of data and with few exception, however, molecular features have not been used so far to drive treatment and the Myeloma community is still far from consensus in defining driver events that might be target of personalized therapy.

In this context, a further level of complexity is represented by the role of the non-coding fraction of RNA, whose investigation is adding important elements to the comprehension of the transcriptional milieu in multiple myeloma. To date, major evidences of correlation with coding transcriptome and genomic lesions have emerged involving the small non-coding RNA (ncRNA) fraction, primarily miRNA and snoRNA. In particular, several studies have investigated the expression profiles of small ncRNA and associated them to molecular and genomic features and to prognosis, providing effective disease stratification that might also overpower those reported in classical gene expression-based studies. In that, miRNAs undoubtedly offer a solid substrate for the study of future potential therapeutic interventions. Moreover, the importance of ncRNA is not limited to malignant plasma cells but should be considered in the context of the tumor bone marrow microenvironment (stromal and mesenchymal stem cells), in cell-cell communication mechanisms and in serum as circulating molecules. The most recent researches, additionally, have highlighted that also long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression levels are modulated in myeloma and their deregulation is candidate for a role in the disease.

The present Special Issue is aimed at collecting latest advances and outstanding researches investigating non-coding RNA involved in myeloma. Specifically, we will consider Original Research and Review manuscripts of great interest for scientists involved in the field.
The main arguments that manuscripts will deal with include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Discovery and investigation of novel non-coding RNAs involved in plasma cell biology
• ncRNAs deregulation in multiple myeloma and plasma cells dyscrasias
• ncRNA to improve stratification and outcome prediction in myeloma
• Functional roles of ncRNAs in malignant plasma cells, tumor microenvironment, and serum
• ncRNA transcriptional network and epigenetic mechanisms in myeloma cells
• Pre-clinical studies investigating the role of ncRNA in myeloma

Prof. Antonino Neri
Dr. Luca Agnelli
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Non-Coding RNA is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 1800 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.

• Multiple myeloma
• Plasma cell dyscrasia
• ncRNA
• Long ncRNA (lncRNA)
• miRNA
• snoRNA
• Bone marrow microenvironment
• Exosomes
• Circulating serum miRNA