In search of LncDACH1 – a perceived intronic long non-coding RNA lacking fundamental genomic annotation evidence

Abstract

The paper “ LncRNA-LncDACH1 mediated phenotypic switching of smooth muscle cells during neointimal hyperplasia in male arter-iovenous fi stulas ” by Li et al., published in 2024 in this journal, proposes that a relatively short unspliced long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) positioned within the intron of the protein-coding gene DACH1 plays a causal role in the vascular remodelling that often occurs after arter-iovenous fi stula formation 1 . This is a surgical procedure for patients undergoing haemodialysis but is very often hampered by vascular malformations (stenosis and thrombosis) that result in critical failure of the fi stula 2 . We have reviewed this and four prior studies 3 – 6 concerning the proposed gene lncDACH1 . We believe that fundamental questions on the annotation state of the proposed lncRNA gene have notbeenaddressed.We fi ndnoevidencepresentedintherecentstudy or prior work that suggests the sequence targeted in experiments is a lncRNA — or indeed anything other than a part sequence of DACH1 pre-mRNA. The characterisation and study of lncRNAs relies on accurate and robust