Advances in RNA sequencing technologies have revealed the complexity of our genome. Non-coding RNAs make up the majority (98%) of the transcriptome. Understanding the significance of this RNA world is one of the most important challenges facing biology today as they regulate the gene expression in every domain of life.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a large and diverse class of transcribed RNA molecules with a length of more than 200 nucleotides that do not encode proteins (or lack > 100 amino acid open reading frame).

lncRNAs are not defined by a common mode of action, and can regulate gene expression and protein synthesis in a number of different ways. Some lncRNAs are highly expressed, and appear to function as scaffolds for specialized subnuclear domains.

They possess secondary structures which facilitate their interactions with miRNA to act as decoy. In the case of chromatin modulation, the effect of lncRNA is typically gene-specific, exerted at a local level (in cis) however regulation of chromatin can also occur in trans.