Non-coding RNA in health and disease

Interested in non-coding RNA research? Join us at the University of Namur on March 18, 2022! Registration and abstract submission are open!

Protein-coding genes account for less than 2% of the entire genome. The other 98% were considered for years as “junk” DNA as they correspond to non-coding genomic sequences. However, it is now becoming clear that the major part of the genome is transcribed into RNA molecules and that these non-coding RNAs have important regulatory roles in gene expression.

Small non-coding RNAs, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs

The present meeting will focus on this non-coding part of the genome, which still remains largely unexplored. It will shed light on recent advances in the discovery of new non-coding RNAs and their functional characterization. The topics covered during the meeting will relate both to small non-coding RNAs (i.e. miRNA), as well as to the more recently described long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) and circular RNAs (circRNA). In addition to their involvement in fundamental biological processes, their contribution in various diseases will also be addressed. Their use as diagnostic markers and their potential as future therapeutic targets will be discussed.

Keynote speakers