RNA activation: promise as a new weapon against cancer

RNA activation (RNAa) is a novel mechanism in which short RNA duplexes, referred to as small activating RNAs (saRNAs), enable sequence-specific gene activation capable of lasting up to 2 weeks. RNAa was named in contrast to RNA interference (RNAi). Although many mysteries remain, increasing evidence demonstrates that RNAa not only provides a novel mechanism for the study of gene function and regulation, but also holds exciting potential for clinical translation to therapeutic modality against cancers. In this review, we will focus on the potential applications of RNAa in cancer studies and therapeutics.