The role of lncRNAs in cancer

The human genome is pervasively transcribed, producing a highly complex transcriptome including thousands of so-called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Expression of these lncRNAs is deregulated in virtually all cancer types and mechanistic studies suggest they act as regulators of various biological processes or signaling cascades. Together with their often tissue restricted expression, these features put forward lncRNAs as attractive therapeutic targets. I will present our efforts to identify functionally relevant lncRNAs in cancer and the mechanisms by which they operate.