Progress in the roles of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in tuberculosis / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis as an infectious disease is still one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The current diagnosis and treatment strategies cannot solve all clinical problems. Newer and more rapid tuberculosis diagnostic technologies with higher sensitivity, as well as more personalized host-oriented treatment strategies are still the important research directions in the future. Tuberculosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been one of the research hot spots in recent years. A series of lncRNA candidates with the potential diagnostic value for tuberculosis have been obtained using transcriptome sequencing and microarray technology. Meanwhile, lncRNAs have been also discovered to play an important role in antimicrobial defense mechanisms by regulating immune cell differentiation, autophagy/apoptosis, inflammatory responses and other biological processes. The current findings of lncRNAs as diagnostic candidates and their roles in tuberculosis were summarized in this review.