Non-coding RNAs: biological functions and applications

Analyses of the international human genome sequencing results in 2004 converged to a consensual number of ~20 000 protein‐coding genes, spanning over 90% of the human genome is likely to be transcribed yielding a complex network of overlapping transcripts that include tens of thousands of long RNAs with little or no protein forming capacity; they are collectively called non‐coding RNA. This review highlights the fundamental concepts of biological roles of non‐coding RNA and their importance in regulation of cellular physiology under disease conditions like cancer. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.