Abstract
Circular RNA (circRNA) is a class of single-stranded molecules with tissue/development-specific expression patterns. Unlike linear RNA, circRNA forms a covalently closed loop produced from 'back-splicing' of primary transcripts, conferring on them inherent resistance to exonucleolytic RNA decay. Increasing evidence demonstrates that many circRNAs exert important biological functions by acting as miRNA inhibitors ('sponges'), protein 'decoys', or by encoding small peptides. Importantly, circRNAs are aberrantly expressed in cancer and play indispensable oncogenic or tumor suppressive roles during tumor development and progression. In this review, we summarize the biogenesis, turnover, and involvements of circRNAs in cancer and also discuss their potential as diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
Keywords:
biomarker; cancer; circular RNA.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
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Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
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Biomarkers, Tumor / agonists
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Biomarkers, Tumor / antagonists & inhibitors
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Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
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Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
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Carcinogenesis / drug effects
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Carcinogenesis / genetics
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Disease Progression
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects*
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Genes, Tumor Suppressor
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Humans
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Mice
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MicroRNAs / metabolism
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Neoplasms / diagnosis
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Neoplasms / drug therapy
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Neoplasms / genetics*
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Oncogenes / genetics
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RNA Precursors / genetics
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RNA Splicing
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RNA Stability
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RNA, Circular / chemistry
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RNA, Circular / genetics
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RNA, Circular / metabolism*
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RNA, Small Interfering / pharmacology
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RNA, Small Interfering / therapeutic use
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Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
Substances
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Antineoplastic Agents
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Biomarkers, Tumor
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MicroRNAs
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RNA Precursors
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RNA, Circular
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RNA, Small Interfering