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Non-coding RNAs: Key players in T cell exhaustion

Kun Li1, Ziqiang Wang1,2

  • 1Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China.

Frontiers in Immunology
|October 21, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Non-coding RNAs, like microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, regulate T cell exhaustion in chronic infections and tumors. Understanding these molecules can lead to better immunotherapies against viruses and cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • T cell exhaustion impairs the immune response against chronic viral infections and tumors.
  • Current immunotherapies like immune checkpoint inhibitors have limitations, including off-target effects and targeting single pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the roles and mechanisms of microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating T cell exhaustion.
  • To highlight the potential of miRNAs and lncRNAs as molecular targets for improved immunotherapies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on studies investigating non-coding RNAs in T cell exhaustion.
  • Analysis of mechanisms by which miRNAs and lncRNAs influence T cell function in chronic viral infections and cancer.

Main Results:

  • Non-coding RNAs, including miRNAs and lncRNAs, are integral to the immune response in viral infections and cancer.
  • These non-coding RNAs play significant roles in the development and regulation of T cell exhaustion.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting specific non-coding RNAs could offer a more precise and effective approach to reversing T cell exhaustion.
  • Further research into miRNAs and lncRNAs may pave the way for novel immunotherapeutic strategies against chronic viral diseases and tumors.
Keywords:
T cell exhaustionchronic viral infectionsimmune checkpointlncRNAmiRNAnon-coding RNAtumorigenesis

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