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Review
. 2025 Nov 21:15:1708828.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1708828. eCollection 2025.

The role of long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs in immune evasion of influenza A virus: recent advances

Yanghua Ju #  1 , Yanchun Li #  1 , Chenxu Zhou  1 , Xiuhua Yu  1
Affiliations
Review

The role of long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs in immune evasion of influenza A virus: recent advances

Yanghua Ju et al. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. .

Abstract

The capacity of influenza A virus (IAV) to circumvent immune defenses in hosts renders it a persistent major peril to worldwide public health. Investigations conducted lately underscore the vital functions played by circular RNAs (circRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) during interactions between viruses and their hosts. This review summarizes current understanding of how lncRNAs and circRNAs participate in IAV immune evasion by regulating antiviral signaling pathways, interfering with interferon responses, modulating inflammatory cytokine production and cell metabolism, and affecting viral replication. This review examines molecular actions exhibited by particular lncRNAs and circRNAs within such interactions, assesses their suitability for therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers, and outlines avenues for subsequent investigations across this fast-developing domain.

Keywords: antiviral response; circular RNA; immune evasion; influenza A virus; long non-coding RNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Major proposed working mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). (a) guiding ribonucleoprotein complexes to specific genomic loci, (b) acting as molecular scaffolds for protein complexes, (c) operating as molecular decoys to sequester proteins or miRNAs, (d) serving as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) that sponge miRNAs, (e) modulating protein activity through direct interactions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main biological functions of circular non-coding RNAs (circRNAs). (a) miRNA sponging through multiple binding sites, (b) interaction with RNA-binding proteins, (c) regulation of parental gene transcription, (d) potential translation into small peptides.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic diagram of the roles that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular non-coding RNAs (circRNAs) play in promoting immune evasion after IAV infection. The majority of these non-coding RNAs facilitate IAV replication by modulating the host immune response at various stages, while a small subset act directly on the virus itself. Further details are provided in the main text.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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