Long Non-Coding RNAs in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: Their Functional Mechanisms and Recent Research Progress

Yaodong He; Wei Wang; Pingping Jiang; Lin Yang; Qi Guo; Junwei Xiang; Yuling Gao; Yuanyin Wang; Ran Chen

doi:10.2147/JIR.S337014

Long Non-Coding RNAs in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: Their Functional Mechanisms and Recent Research Progress

J Inflamm Res. 2021 Nov 3:14:5787-5800. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S337014. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yaodong He^#¹, Wei Wang^#¹, Pingping Jiang², Lin Yang¹, Qi Guo¹, Junwei Xiang¹, Yuling Gao¹, Yuanyin Wang¹, Ran Chen¹

Affiliations

¹ College & Hospital of Stomatology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Research of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, People's Republic of China.
² School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, People's Republic of China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Many studies have shown that most genomes are transcribed into non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which can affect different cell characteristics. LncRNAs are long heterologous RNAs that regulate gene expression and various signaling pathways during homeostasis and development. Studies have shown that a lncRNA is an important regulatory molecule that can be targeted to change the physiology and function of cells. Expression or dysfunction of lncRNAs is closely related to various genetic, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases. The importance of ncRNAs in oral submucosal fibrosis (OSF) has garnered much attention in recent years. However, most research has focused on miRs. The role of these molecules in OSF is incompletely understood. This review focuses on the emerging role and function of lncRNAs in OSF as novel regulators. Finally, the potential functional role of lncRNAs as biomarkers for OSF diagnosis is also described. LncRNAs are expected to become a new therapeutic target, but more research is needed to understand their biological functions more deeply.

Keywords: biomarker; function; long non-coding RNAs; mechanism; oral submucous fibrosis.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 31970677] -for the design of the study; Key Development and Research Projects in Anhui Province [201904a07020062] -for the collection and analysis of data.