Exploring the role of a novel autoimmune disease-associated lncRNA in Treg biology

PROJECT NARRATIVE Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as important regulators of a plethora of biological processes, ranging from development to immunity. Using a discovery pipeline that integrates information from genome-wide association studies, evolutionary conservation and differential gene expression, we have identified a novel lncRNA that exhibits a pattern of selective expression in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and is genetically implicated in two intestinal auto-immune diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Here, we propose to explore the role of this lncRNA in Treg biology.