title: MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs: prospects in diagnostics and therapy of cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are key regulatory molecules in cellular processes, and are potential biomarkers in many diseases. Currently, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs are being pursued as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and as therapeutic tools in cancer, since their expression profiling is able to distinguish different cancer types and classify their sub-types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are numerous studies confirming involvement of ncRNAs in cancer initiation, development and progression, but have only been recently identified as new diagnostic and prognostic tools. This can be beneficial in future medical cancer treatment options, since ncRNAs are natural antisense interactors included in regulation of many genes connected to survival and proliferation. Research is directed in development of useful markers for diagnosis and prognosis in cancer and in developing new RNA-based cancer therapies, of which some are already in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hauptman
authors.forename: Damjan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glavac
keywords: biomarker; diagnosis; long non-coding RNAs; microRNAs; therapy