Using High-Throughput CRISPR based Screens to Identify Novel Long Noncoding RNAs Involved in Macrophage Viability

Macrophages exhibit abundant functional diversity and play a key role in immunity, tissue repair, development, and homeostasis. There are many categories of macrophages, and we focus on the population that arise in the peripheral blood as monocytes and are activated and differentiated during an immune response to become monocyte derived macrophages. These macrophages play critical roles in the transient activation of inflammation to aid in the clearance of pathogens during an infection. During the resolution phase of inflammation macrophages are deactivated or killed to end the inflammatory response. Understanding what regulates macrophage survival both at baseline and following an immune response is critical, since the viability of macrophages impacts inflammation and host defense. Here, we show high throughput CRISPR screening technology can be utilized to identify the roles long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play in immune responses. Using this approach, we have identified novel lncRNAs involved in macrophage viability and function.