Year: 2017
Type: preprint
Abstract: Cytokines and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are intertwined in the regulatory circuit controlling immunity.lncRNA expression levels are altered following cytokine stimulation in a cell-type-specific fashion.lncRNAs, in turn, regulate the inducible expression of cytokines following immune activation.These studies position lncRNAs as important regulators of gene expression within the complex pathways of the immune system.Our understanding of the functions of lncRNAs is just beginning.Current methodologies for functionally understanding how these transcripts mediate their effects are unable to keep up with the speed of genomic outputs cataloging thousands of these novel genes.In this review, we highlight the interplay between cytokines and lncRNAs and speculate on the future utility of these genes as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the treatment of inflammatory disorders.C ytokines are a large group of small proteins (5 to 20 kda) that are critical in controlling a plethora of biological and physiological processes, including metabolism, inflammation, and blood pressure, to name just a few.They provide the necessary balance to maintain homeostasis at the cellular, tissue, and organismal level.Alterations in the balance between proand anti-inflammatory cytokines can have devastating consequences, leading to a myriad of inflammatory diseases (Vilcek and Feldmann 2004;Lin and Karin 2007).Cytokine gene expression is very tightly regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional level.
Authors: Susan Carpenter, Katherine A. Fitzgerald
Language: English
Subfield: Cancer Research
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2735717640