Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 2946 (LINC02946)

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 2946 (LINC02946), also known as RMEL1, is a primate-specific long non-coding RNA identified through analysis of melanoma-specific gene expression patterns. It is highly restricted in its expression to melanocytic lineage cells, including normal melanocytes and a significant proportion of melanoma cell lines, with up-regulation in both primary and metastatic tumors but usually absent from other tissues. RMEL1’s expression profile is more exclusive to melanocytic cells than other canonical markers, suggesting potential utility for diagnosis and prognosis in melanoma. While its exact biological function remains to be experimentally clarified, RMEL1’s specificity suggests a possible involvement in melanocyte differentiation, pigmentation, or melanoma progression, and it may be useful in future development of biomarkers or therapeutic strategies for melanoma. No direct drug interactions or mechanistic pharmacological data are available at present.

Other names

RMEL1RMEL1 (enriched in melanoma 1)LINC02946