Long Noncoding RNAs in Diabetes and Diabetic Complications

Significance: Diabetes is associated with markedly accelerated rates of micro- and macrovascular complications that increase morbidity and mortality. Understanding the molecular mechanisms can promote much needed therapeutics. Recent Advances: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of gene regulation and cellular function and are emerging as important players in diabetes and its complications. There are number of examples in which lncRNAs are responsive to hyperglycemia and clearly involved in regulation of genes and pathways associated with the development of diabetic complications. Critical Issues: As there are likely thousands of lncRNAs that are expressed in any given tissue, understanding how they are regulated and function in the normal healthy state as well as pathological states is a challenge. Future Directions: Further studies in how lncRNAs are involved in the development and progression of diabetic complications as well as development of methods to target dysregulated lncRNAs or evaluate them as biomarkers of early detection of organ dysfunction will be highly beneficial to treating diabetic patients.