The role of LncRNAs in tumor immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy is a major breakthrough in the history of tumor therapy in the last decade. Immune checkpoint inhibitors blocking CTLA-4/B7 or PD-1/PD-L1 pathways have greatly prolonged the survival of patients with different cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are abnormally expressed in tumors and play an important role in tumor immunotherapy through immune regulation and immunotherapy resistance. In this review, we summarized the mechanisms of lncRNAs in regulating gene expression and well-studied immune checkpoint pathways. The crucial regulatory function of immune-related lncRNAs in cancer immunotherapy was also described. Further understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these lncRNAs is of great importance to the development of taking lncRNAs as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for immunotherapy.