Development and utilization of non-coding RNA–small molecule interactions

RNA plays a crucial role in cellular biology as a carrier of genetic information. However, beyond this passive role, RNA has been shown to regulate various cellular processes in a form that is not translated into protein. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) has been shown to be important in gene regulation, and its aberrant activity has been associated with several disease states. As such, ncRNAs represent a novel target for small molecule regulation and recently, significant advances have been made towards elucidating small molecule regulators of ncRNAs. Herein, we provide an overview of miRNA, siRNA, RNA aptamers, riboswitches, and ribozymes, within the context of recent findings regarding the exogenous regulation of these ncRNAs by small molecules. The development of these small molecule tools has far-reaching applications in the advancement of molecular therapeutics.