Progress on epigenetic regulation of long noncoding RNAs in cardiac development and heart diseases

It was previously revealed that noncoding RNAs, especially microRNAs, control cardiac genes and regulate heart function. Recently, growing evidence from high-throughput genomic platforms has confirmed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve as new and enigmatic regulators in cardiac development and homeostasis. Nevertheless, little is known about their characteristics compared to microRNAs. Here, we review the latest progress on lncRNAs in cardiac biology and diseases, summarizing detailed knowledge of their functions and novel cardiac-related gene regulatory mechanisms in epigenetic processes. Finally, we highlight that lncRNAs could be promising therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers in cardiac pathophysiology.