Role of lncRNAs in aging and age-related diseases

Aging is progressive physiological degeneration and consequently declined function, which is linked to senescence on both cellular and organ levels. Accumulating studies indicate that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in cellular senescence at all levels-transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational. Understanding the molecular mechanism of lncRNAs underlying senescence could facilitate interpretation and intervention of aging and age-related diseases. In this review, we describe categories of known and novel lncRNAs that have been involved in the progression of senescence. We also identify the lncRNAs implicated in diseases arising from age-driven degeneration or dysfunction in some representative organs and systems (brains, liver, muscle, cardiovascular system, bone pancreatic islets, and immune system). Improved comprehension of lncRNAs in the aging process on all levels, from cell to organismal, may provide new insights into the amelioration of age-related pathologies and prolonged healthspan.