Inflammation and immune system activation are complex processes controlled by elaborate signaling pathways and hundreds of genes that are turned on and off in response to external stimuli such as bacteria or viruses. A class of molecules called long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are now emerging as important regulators of inflammatory gene expression and potential targets for novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics, as described in a Review article in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR) from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the JICR website until February 19, 2015.