New insights into the long non-coding RNAs dependent modulation of heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy: From molecular function to diagnosis and treatment

Heart failure (HF) is a public health issue that imposes high costs on healthcare systems. Despite the significant advances in therapies and prevention of HF, it remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The current clinical diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic strategies, have some limitations. Genetic and epigenetic factors have been identified to be central to the pathogenesis of HF. Therefore, they might provide promising novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for HF. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) belong to a group of RNAs that are produced by RNA polymerase II. These molecules play an important role in the functioning of different cell biological processes, such as transcription and regulation of gene expression. LncRNAs can affect different signaling pathways by targeting biological molecules or a variety of different cellular mechanisms. The alteration in their expression has been reported in different types of cardiovascular diseases, including HF, supporting the theory that they are important in the development and progression of heart diseases. Therefore, these molecules can be introduced as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers in HF. In this review, we summarize different lncRNAs as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers in HF. Moreover, we highlight various molecular mechanisms dysregulated by different lncRNAs in HF.