Mini-reviewThe regulatory role of long noncoding RNAs in cancer

- lncRNAs regulate gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.
- lncRNAs function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes.
- lncRNAs are emerging as novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

With the advances in genomic analysis technologies, especially next-generation RNA sequencing, a large number of new transcripts have been discovered, leading to better understanding of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Recent investigations have provided firm evidence for the critical roles of lncRNAs in chromatin modification, gene transcription, RNA splicing, RNA transport and translation. In vitro and in vivo studies have also proven that aberrant lncRNA expression is essential for the initiation and progression of cancers. Due to their unique tissue- and cancer-specific expression profiles, aberrant expression of lncRNAs can be used as reliable prognostic markers for cancer diagnoses and treatment stratification, and lncRNAs are novel therapeutic targets with high therapeutic windows.