LncRNA H19: A Potential Diagnostic and Therapeutic Target for Kidney Diseases

Kidney diseases (KDs) impact over 800 million individuals globally, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. KDs place significant socioeconomic burdens on healthcare systems and lower patients' quality of life. Recent advancements and persuasive evidence on RNA biology have highlighted that the lncRNA world is a promising field for elucidating molecular mechanisms of kidney diseases and identifying novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. Recent studies have highlighted that lncRNA H19, the first-reported transcript, plays a critical role in a variety of kidney diseases and, therefore, merits further investigation. Here, we focus on what is currently known about the possible roles of lncRNA H19 in the molecular pathogenesis of KDs and discuss the current evidence regarding the diagnostic and therapeutic role of lncRNA H19 in the prevention and treatment of kidney diseases. Emerging evidence has suggested that lncRNA H19 may play a crucial role in the onset and progression of KDs by modulating a variety of cellular mechanisms, such as apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative damage, proliferation, differentiation, and metastasis. Furthermore, lncRNA H19 shows promise as a therapeutic target and diagnostic marker for the management of KDs, providing new insights into the combat of this severe complication of KDs. Although most available evidence originates from preclinical and experimental models, growing findings suggest that lncRNA H19 possesses substantial translational potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target, warranting validation in large-scale clinical cohorts.