Abstract: Long non-coding RNAs are important regulators of gene expression. ANRIL which was coded on the Chr9p21.3 loci participates in the pathogenesis of tumor, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and other diseases. Multiple ANRIL isoforms are tissue-specific. ANRIL mainly functions through Polycomb proteins, while there are also other downstream targets. The mechanism of each isoform and the downstream pathways are hotspots currently.

Key words: Long non-coding RNA, ANRIL, CDKN2BAS