Prof. RNA Biology of Infection, Philipps University, Marburg

Abstract

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression, yet their molecular mechanisms in human immunity remain incompletely understood. Recent discoveries from our group and others have identified several lncRNAs, including MaIL1 and LUCAT1, that are linked to severe human diseases such as pneumonia and COVID-19 and modulate innate immune programs in myeloid cells, particularly macrophages. Building on these findings, our lab has developed integrative multi-omic and interactomic approaches to reconstruct the regulatory networks and protein interactomes of inflammation-associated lncRNAs. Combined loss-of-function profiling and interactome mapping revealed an extensive lncRNA–protein network in macrophages, influencing inflammatory mediator production and cell fate decisions. Together, these studies define a previously unrecognized RNA layer of immune regulation that likely contributes to immune-driven diseases and may offer new opportunities for precision intervention in immunopathologies.

http://rna-lab.org/

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