The Role of MicroRNAs and Other Non-Coding RNAs in Gut Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Cancers

Gastrointestinal complications, which primarily include the gastrointestinal cancers and gastrointestinal inflammation, are considered as some of the most important and costly health problems globally. Over the past 3-4 decades, there has been an alarming increase in the overall prevalence of these complications. Despite extensive research efforts, we are still unable to provide precise solutions for the development of novel diagnostic and treatment methods for these problems. However, recent studies have shown that several microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs play critical roles in the pathogenetic process of gastrointestinal cancers and gastrointestinal inflammation. This information has led to the belief that these microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs may provide a powerful clinical tool for diagnosis, and regulation of their expression could be a novel strategy for basic research and therapeutic applications for human gastrointestinal complications.

In the last decade, genomics and molecular biology advances have presented us with a plethora of knowledge about microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs. This has seen a significant increase in our understanding of their biogenesis, biomarkers, target identification, and potential therapeutic value in various gastrointestinal complications. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide insight into the new discoveries regarding microRNA- and other non-coding RNA-mediated molecular pathways and biomarkers that could improve the diagnosis and/or the prognostic classification of gastrointestinal inflammation and gastrointestinal cancers, and to discuss their potential application in therapeutic use.

This Research Topic invites the submission of original research and review articles covering the given range of topics. The subject areas we wish to cover will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The role of microRNAs (miRNA), circular RNAs (circRNA) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) in:
o Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
o Intestinal tight junction permeability
o Colorectal cancer
o Pancreatic cancer
o Hepatocellular carcinoma
o Gastric cancer
o Esophageal cancer

Dr. Sreenivasa Rao Oruganti is a full time employee at GeoVax. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.