LncRNAs: Promising new targets in pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by progressive and irreversible scarring in the lungs with poor prognosis and treatment. It is caused by various factors, including environmental and occupational exposures, and some rheumatic immune diseases. Even the rapid global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic also can cause pulmonary fibrosis with high probability. Functions attributed to long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) make them highly attractive diagnostic and therapeutic targets in fibroproliferative diseases. Therefore, understanding specific mechanisms by which lncRNAs regulate pulmonary fibrotic pathogenesis is urgently needed to identify new possibilities for therapy. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms and implications of lncRNAs targeted protein-coding and non-coding genes during pulmonary fibrogenesis, and systematically analyze the communication of lncRNAs with various types of RNAs, including microRNA, circular RNA, and messenger RNA. Finally, we propose the potential approaches of lncRNA-based diagnosis and therapy for pulmonary fibrosis. We hope understanding these interactions between protein-coding and non-coding genes will contribute to develop lncRNA-based clinical applications for pulmonary fibrosis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.