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Review
. 2020 Apr 13;21(8):2698.
doi: 10.3390/ijms21082698.

Potential Roles of Long Noncoding RNAs as Therapeutic Targets in Renal Fibrosis

Hyun Jin Jung  1 , Hyun-Ju Kim  2 , Kwan-Kyu Park  2
Affiliations
Review

Potential Roles of Long Noncoding RNAs as Therapeutic Targets in Renal Fibrosis

Hyun Jin Jung et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Many studies have made clear that most of the genome is transcribed into noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), both of which can affect different cell features. LncRNAs are long heterogeneous RNAs that regulate gene expression and a variety of signaling pathways involved in cellular homeostasis and development. Several studies have demonstrated that lncRNA is an important class of regulatory molecule that can be targeted to change cellular physiology and function. The expression or dysfunction of lncRNAs is closely related to various hereditary, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases, and tumors. Specifically, recent work has shown that lncRNAs have an important role in kidney pathogenesis. The effective roles of lncRNAs have been recognized in renal ischemia, injury, inflammation, fibrosis, glomerular diseases, renal transplantation, and renal-cell carcinoma. The present review focuses on the emerging role and function of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of kidney inflammation and fibrosis as novel essential regulators. Although lncRNAs are important players in the initiation and progression of many pathological processes, their role in renal fibrosis remains unclear. This review summarizes the current understanding of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of kidney fibrosis and elucidates the potential role of these novel regulatory molecules as therapeutic targets for the clinical treatment of kidney inflammation and fibrosis.

Keywords: long noncoding RNA; renal fibrosis; therapeutic target.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) functions at nucleus and cytoplasm. (A) Transcription activator involved in gene expression and transcription regulation in nucleus; (B) transcription repressor inhibits gene expression by occupying DNA binding site in nucleus; (C) miRNA sequester can function as miRNA decoy to sequester miRNAs from their mRNA targets; (D) RNA regulator decreases mRNA expression as RNA regulator in cytoplasm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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