The mechanism of lncRNA H19 in fibrosis and its potential as novel therapeutic target

Fibrosis is widely observed in multiple organs, which is generally associated with aging-related diseases, including liver fibrosis, lung fibrosis, cardiac fibrosis and renal fibrosis. The excess deposition of extracellular matrix ultimately leads to the disruption of organ architecture and loss of function. H19 is paternally imprinted maternally expressed lncRNA, which is highly expressed during the development of embryo but quickly downregulated after birth. Recently, a growing body of studies indicates that H19 is widely involved in the pathologic mechanism of fibrosis in various organs. In this review, we summarized current studies of H19 in fibrosis and hopefully aid in a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of fibrosis and the potential of H19 as novel therapeutic target for fibrosis.