ncRNA Editing: Functional Characterization and Computational Resources.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play crucial roles in gene expression regulation, translation, and disease development, including cancer. They are classified by size in short and long non-coding RNAs. This chapter focuses on the functional implications of adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing in both short (e.g., miRNAs) and long ncRNAs. RNA editing dynamically alters the sequence and structure of primary transcripts, impacting ncRNA biogenesis and function. Notable findings include the role of miRNA editing in promoting glioblastoma invasiveness, characterizing RNA editing hotspots across cancers, and its implications in thyroid cancer and ischemia. This chapter also highlights bioinformatics resources and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies that enable comprehensive ncRNAome studies and genome-wide RNA editing detection. Dysregulation of RNA editing machinery has been linked to various human diseases, emphasizing the potential of RNA editing as a biomarker and therapeutic target. This overview integrates current knowledge and computational tools for studying ncRNA editing, providing insights into its biological significance and clinical applications.