| Autor: |
Piergentili R; Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Italian National Research Council (CNR-IBPM), 00185 Rome, Italy., Basile G; Trauma Unit and Emergency Department, IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedics Institute, 20161 Milan, Italy.; Head of Legal Medicine Unit, Clinical Institute San Siro, 20148 Milan, Italy., Nocella C; Department of Clinical Internal, Anaesthesiological and Cardiovascular Sciences, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155, 00161 Rome, Italy., Carnevale R; Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy.; Mediterranea Cardiocentro-Napoli, Via Orazio, 80122 Naples, Italy., Marinelli E; Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy., Patrone R; PhD ICTH, University of Federico II, HPB Department INT F. Pascale IRCCS of Naples, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Naples, Italy., Zaami S; Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Section of Forensic Medicine, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy. |
| Abstrakt: |
Although the first discovery of a non-coding RNA (ncRNA) dates back to 1958, only in recent years has the complexity of the transcriptome started to be elucidated. However, its components are still under investigation and their identification is one of the challenges that scientists are presently facing. In addition, their function is still far from being fully understood. The non-coding portion of the genome is indeed the largest, both quantitatively and qualitatively. A large fraction of these ncRNAs have a regulatory role either in coding mRNAs or in other ncRNAs, creating an intracellular network of crossed interactions (competing endogenous RNA networks, or ceRNET) that fine-tune the gene expression in both health and disease. The alteration of the equilibrium among such interactions can be enough to cause a transition from health to disease, but the opposite is equally true, leading to the possibility of intervening based on these mechanisms to cure human conditions. In this review, we summarize the present knowledge on these mechanisms, illustrating how they can be used for disease treatment, the current challenges and pitfalls, and the roles of environmental and lifestyle-related contributing factors, in addition to the ethical, legal, and social issues arising from their (improper) use. |
