Long Noncoding RNAs: New Players in Ischaemia-Reperfusion Injury

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute a new class of noncoding RNAs that interfere with gene expression. It has been shown that lncRNAs exert comprehensive effects on biological processes and are associated with numerous diseases such as cancer. However, the possible role of lncRNAs in ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury have received relatively little attention. Accumulating evidence indicates that lncRNAs are also involved in the progression of I/R injury such as myocardial, cerebral, hepatic, renal and mesenteric I/R injury. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge of lncRNAs in I/R injury, attempting to better explain the molecular mechanism of I/R injury and provide new directions for its therapy.