Pharmacogenomics and Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer Therapy

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with therapeutic resistance and adverse drug reactions posing significant challenges in clinical oncology. Recent advances in pharmacogenomics—the study of how genetic variations influence drug response—are driving the shift toward personalized medicine. Alongside protein-coding genes, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), have emerged as crucial regulators of gene expression, tumor biology, and drug response. NcRNAs not only modulate oncogenic pathways but also impact drug efficacy, resistance mechanisms, and toxicity profiles, thus representing promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.

The primary objectives of this work are to elucidate the role: clarify the mechanisms by which ncRNAs influence pharmacogenomic variability and therapeutic outcomes in cancer. Identify biomarkers: highlight key ncRNAs that serve as predictive biomarkers for drug response or resistance. This topic aims to explore therapeutic strategies: examine how targeting ncRNAs can enhance the efficacy of current cancer therapies or overcome resistance and foster translation: assess the current state and future potential for integrating ncRNA-related pharmacogenomic insights into personalized oncology practice.

This research topic invites submissions on the below themes:
- introduction to the fundamentals of pharmacogenomics, ncRNA biology, and their interconnections in cancer.
- a synthesis of research findings on the regulatory roles of miRNAs and lncRNAs in drug metabolism, transport, and cancer cell sensitivity or resistance.
- case studies illustrating clinically relevant ncRNA-drug interactions in major cancer types (e.g., breast, lung, colorectal, and hematological malignancies).
- discussion of experimental and computational methodologies used to identify and validate ncRNA biomarkers in pharmacogenomics.
- exploration of therapeutic interventions targeting ncRNAs, including antisense oligonucleotides, small molecule inhibitors, and RNA mimics, with an emphasis on their clinical progress and associated challenges.
- consideration of ethical and practical aspects pertaining to the implementation of ncRNA-guided personalized therapies.

By dissecting the complex interplay between pharmacogenomics and ncRNAs, this work aims to inform innovative strategies that optimize cancer treatment, minimize side effects, and pave the way toward truly individualized therapy.

Please note:
If patient data are analyzed, a comprehensive description of the patient cohort should be provided. This includes sex, age, diagnostic criteria, inclusion and exclusion criteria, disease stage, therapies received, comorbidities, and other relevant clinical information, along with an assessment of clinical response or effects.
If genetic, proteomic, metabolomic, or other omics data are analyzed, a detailed description of the methodologies used and the rationale for selecting the specific datasets should be included.
Studies focused on natural compounds, herbal extracts, or traditional medicine products fall outside the scope of the Pharmacogenetics & Pharmacogenomics Specialty Section and should instead be submitted to the Ethnopharmacology Specialty Section.
Manuscripts based solely on analyses of public databases or previously published evidence, without additional experimental insights or sufficient experimental validation, will not be considered for this Research Topic.
All submissions should align with the journal’s mission and scope. For more information, please refer to: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/about
Dr. Sujit Nair is an employee of Phytovida PVT Ltd., Mumbai, India.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: ncRNA pharmacogenomics, microRNA drug resistance cancer, lncRNA biomarkers oncology, non-coding RNA personalized therapy, ncRNA therapeutic targets cancer

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.