Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two decades, the biological science arena has witnessed the emergence and rapid advancement of two distinct research domains: noncoding RNA (ncRNA) and extracellular vesicles. Presently, the significance of ncRNA in the biology of virtually all living organisms is beyond dispute, and our comprehension of its diverse mechanisms of action continues to expand. Notably, ncRNA is not confined solely to the intracellular environment; it is also packaged within extracellular vesicles, the small membrane-enclosed structures that are released by cells into the extracellular environment.

EVs play a crucial role in intercellular communication as they can transport various bioactive molecules, including different types of ncRNAs, between cells. A growing body of evidence suggests that ncRNA carried by EVs plays a role in diverse physiological and disease processes, such as genetic information transfer, cell differentiation, cellular reprograming in response to external stimuli, or cancer invasion and metastasis, to name a few.

The RNA-sheltering environment offered by extracellular vesicles has been effectively harnessed in medical research as it holds significant promise in the development of more robust diagnostic tools. Being body-own, EVs display reduced immunogenicity and provide an attractive alternative to synthetic delivery systems in the expanding field of RNA-based medical applications in precision medicine. Last but not least, investigations focusing on the intersection of ncRNA and extracellular vesicles hold vast potential to deepen our understanding of fundamental biological processes in the different domains of life and to translate this knowledge into impactful applications for human health.

This Special Issue will focus on the interactions between extracellular vesicles and ncRNAs (including small RNA, lncRNA, and circRNA). We invite investigators to contribute original research articles, communications, or reviews focused on, but not limited to, the role of ncRNA as EV cargo, the involvement of ncRNA in the lifecycle of extracellular vesicles, or the development of extracellular vesicle-based delivery systems that involve the targeting or use of ncRNA.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions for this Special Issue.

Dr. Elena Martens-Uzunova
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Non-Coding RNA is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• noncoding RNA
• lncRNA
• circRNA
• small noncoding RNA
• microRNA
• snoRNA
• snRNA
• extracellular vesicles (EVs)
• Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs)
• biomarker
• liquid biopsy
• therapeutic delivery