Long noncoding RNA: Novel links between gene expression and innate immunity

•Differential regulation of long noncoding RNA following inflammatory stimulation.•Methods employed to understand the molecular mechanisms used by lncRNA in innate immunity.•Host derived and pathogen derived lncRNA and how they influence gene expression.•Comprehensive analysis of lncRNA differentially expressed in inflammatory disease states.

Protection against infection and maintenance of homeostasis are the hallmarks of the innate immune system. The complex signaling cascades that occur following microbial infection have been studied intensely for a number of years and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) represent novel regulatory components of these pathways. The catalogue of lncRNA present in our genomes continues to increase as deep sequencing data becomes available. It is clear that they represent critical regulatory steps in a large number of biological systems yet we currently understand the functions for approximately 1% of all annotated lncRNA. This review will cover the recent findings on the emerging roles for lncRNA in controlling the inflammatory response and their mechanisms of action. Gaining a better understanding of these processes could facilitate the development of novel therapeutics to prevent damaging inflammation.