Antisense now makes sense: dual modulation of androgen-dependent transcription by CTBP1-AS

Recent advances in genomic approaches for exploring the transcriptome have led to the identification of thousands of novel non-coding RNA (ncRNA) transcripts (Djebali et al, 2012). While some of these ncRNAs have been implicated in the development and progression of cancer and other human diseases, their underlying mechanisms of action remain largely unknown (Esteller, 2011). Takayama et al (2013) now report the identification of CTBP1-AS, a novel androgen-regulated long ncRNA that promotes prostate cancer growth through sense-antisense repression of the transcriptional co-regulator CTBP1, as well as through the global epigenetic regulation of tumour suppressor genes.