The emerging roles of long noncoding RNAs in lymphatic vascular development and disease

Recent advances in RNA sequencing technologies helped uncover what was once uncharted territory in the human genome—the complex and versatile world of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Previously thought of as merely transcriptional “noise”, lncRNAs have now emerged as essential regulators of gene expression networks controlling development, homeostasis and disease progression. The regulatory functions of lncRNAs are broad and diverse, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are highly variable, acting at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. In recent years, evidence has accumulated to support the important role of lncRNAs in the development and functioning of the lymphatic vasculature and associated pathological processes such as tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis and cancer metastasis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of lncRNAs in regulating the key genes and pathways involved in lymphatic vascular development and disease. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of lncRNAs as novel therapeutic targets and outline possible strategies for the development of lncRNA-based therapeutics to treat diseases of the lymphatic system.