CircRNAs: role in human diseases and potential use as biomarkers
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 11 May 2021
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Cell Death & Disease
- Vol. 12 (5), 1-12
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-03743-3
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous RNAs characterized by a covalent loop structure. In comparison to other types of RNAs, the abundance of circRNAs is relatively low but due to the circular configuration, their stability is very high. In addition, circRNAs display high degree of tissue specificity. The sponging activity of circRNAs toward microRNAs is the best-described mode of action of circRNAs. However, the ability of circRNAs to bind with specific proteins, as well as to encode short proteins, propose alternative functions. This review introduces the biogenesis of circRNAs and summarizes the roles played by circRNAs in human diseases. These include examples of their functional roles in several organ-specific cancers, such as head and neck and breast and lung cancers. In addition, we review potential functions of circRNAs in diabetes, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, a growing number of studies have demonstrated involvement of circRNAs in a wide spectrum of signaling molecular pathways, but at the same time many different and controversial views on circRNAs role and function are emerging. We conclude by offering cellular homeostasis generated by networks comprising circular RNAs, other non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins. Accordingly, it is predictable that circRNAs, due to their highly stable nature and remarkable tissue specificity, will emerge as reliable biomarkers of disease course and treatment efficacy.Keywords
This publication has 138 references indexed in Scilit:
- Cell-Type Specific Features of Circular RNA ExpressionPLoS Genetics, 2013
- Variability in micro RNA (miRNA) abundance, speciation and complexity amongst different human populations and potential relevance to Alzheimer's disease (AD)Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2013
- Circular RNAs are abundant, conserved, and associated with ALU repeatsRNA, 2012
- Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes MellitusDiabetes Care, 2012
- The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase ITCH Negatively Regulates Canonical Wnt Signaling by Targeting Dishevelled ProteinMolecular and Cellular Biology, 2012
- MicroRNA-497 targets insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor and has a tumour suppressive role in human colorectal cancerOncogene, 2012
- Circular RNAs Are the Predominant Transcript Isoform from Hundreds of Human Genes in Diverse Cell TypesPLOS ONE, 2012
- miRNA-dependent gene silencing involving Ago2-mediated cleavage of a circular antisense RNAThe EMBO Journal, 2011
- Canonical and noncanonical Wnts use a common mechanism to activate completely unrelated coreceptorsGenes & Development, 2010
- Activating and resistance mutations of EGFR in non-small-cell lung cancer: role in clinical response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitorsOncogene, 2009