Very long non-coding RNA and human disease

A role for non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the development of disease has been well documented in the case of miRNAs. Recent studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), greater than 200 nt in length, are also implicated in various diseases. In this review, we focus on these lncRNAs, the very long non-coding RNAs (vlncRNAs), which are more than 5 kb long and for which detailed information is available. These studies have demonstrated that vlncRNAs have important biological functions, and that their aberrant expression may result in various cancers. Future investigations in this exciting field are needed to explore the role of vlncRNAs in pathogenesis and, in particular, to further understand their functional mechanisms.