Regulatory RNAs in immunosenescence

Abstract

Background

Immunosenescence is a multifactorial stress response to different intrinsic and extrinsic insults that cause immune deterioration and is accompanied by genomic or epigenomic perturbations. It is now widely recognized that genes and proteins contributing in the process of immunosenescence are regulated by various noncoding (nc) RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs, and circular RNAs.

Aims

This review article aimed to evaluate the regulatore RNAs roles in the process of immunosenescence.

Methods

We analyzed publications that were focusing on the different roles of regulatory RNAs on the several aspects of immunosenescence.

Results

In the immunosenescence setting, ncRNAs have been found to play regulatory roles at both transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels. These factors cooperate to regulate the initiation of gene expression programs and sustaining the senescence phenotype and proinflammatory responses.

Conclusion

Immunosenescence is a complex process with pivotal alterations in immune function occurring with age. The extensive network that drive immunosenescence‐related features are are mainly directed by a variety of regulatory RNAs such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs. Latest findings about regulation of senescence by ncRNAs in the innate and adaptive immune cells as well as their role in the immunosenescence pathways, provide a better understanding of regulatory RNAs function in the process of immunosenescence.

Highlights

• The immunosenescence process is strictly controlled by genetic and epigenetic factors

• Innate and adaptive immune responses are affected by immunosenescence

• The proteostasis is a major hallmark of aging and cellular senescence

• The regulatory RNAs are involved in the aging of immune system