Non-coding RNAs in Cancer: New Frontiers

In recent years, cancer biology has witnessed a paradigm shift with the discovery of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as key modulators of tumor development, progression, and therapy resistance. Beyond the well-studied coding genome, ncRNAs—including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and others—have emerged as crucial regulators of gene expression and cellular signaling networks in cancer.

By gathering contributions from diverse fields—including molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, and clinical research—, this collection aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how ncRNA research is redefining our understanding of cancer biology, diagnosis and treatment. We invite submissions that offer cutting-edge insights and open new avenues for translational applications in oncology.

This Research Topic aims to explore the latest advances in the implication of ncRNAs in cancer - from carcinogenesis, to cancer progression, therapy resistance and their involvement in the tumor microenvironment.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Functional characterization of ncRNAs in oncogenesis, metastasis, and tumor microenvironment interactions;

• Mechanisms by which ncRNAs regulate gene expression and epigenetic modifications in cancer cells; o Emerging ncRNA-based diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers;

• Clinical implications and challenges of targeting ncRNAs in cancer therapy;

• Innovative technologies and methodologies for studying ncRNAs in cancer.




Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this journal.

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
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

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
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: non-coding RNA; microRNA; lncRNA; circRNA; piRNA; siRNA; cancer; angiogenesis; metastasis; EMT; therapy resistance; cancer progression

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.