Potential Implications of Long Noncoding RNAs in Autoimmune Diseases

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein coding RNAs of more than 200 nucleotides in length. Despite the term noncoding, lncRNAs have been reported to be involved in gene expression. Accumulating evidence suggests that lncRNAs play crucial roles in the regulation of immune system and the development of autoimmunity. lncRNAs are expressed in various immune cells including T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, and NK cells, and are also involved in the differentiation and activation of these immune cells. Here, we review recent studies on the role of lncRNAs in immune regulation and the differential expression of lncRNAs in various autoimmune diseases.