Long Noncoding RNAs: Insight Into Their Roles in Normal and Cancer Stem CellsChapter 22 –

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a class of transcribed RNA molecules that are longer than 200 nucleotides and yet do not encode proteins. In this chapter, we describe the involvement of lncRNAs in regulating stem cell properties including their potential for self-renewal and differentiation, which help in maintenance of normal cell and tissue homeostasis. Furthermore, we provide an explicit account of how aberrant functioning of lncRNAs through multiple mechanisms drives cellular transformation and tumor progression and thereby causes enrichment of a cancer stem cell (CSC) population. Conclusively, the involvement of lncRNAs is crucial to the emergence of the transformed phenotype that is maintained by CSCs. This makes it imperative to understand their mechanisms of action and consequently design effective RNA-based strategies in the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of cancer.