Long non‐coding RNA expression profiling in cancer: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

In recent years, technological advances in transcriptome profiling revealed that the repertoire of human RNA molecules is more diverse and extended than originally thought. This diversity and complexity mainly derives from a large ensemble of non‐coding RNAs. Because of their key roles in cellular processes important for normal development and physiology, disruption of non‐coding RNA expression is intrinsically linked to human disease, including cancer. Therefore, studying the non‐coding portion of the transcriptome offers the prospect of identifying novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets. While evidence of the relevance of non‐coding RNAs in cancer is accumulating, we still face many challenges when it comes to accurately profiling their expression levels. Some of these challenges are inherent to the technologies employed, while others are associated with characteristics of the non‐coding RNAs themselves. In this review, we discuss the challenges related to long non‐coding RNA expression profiling, highlight how cancer long non‐coding RNAs provide new opportunities for cancer diagnosis and treatment, and reflect on future developments.

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