The research progress of circular RNAs in hematological malignancies

Objectives: Circular RNA (circRNA), a covalently closed loop structure lacking poly-adenylated tails, has attracted attention with the rapid development of its detection techniques such as bioinformatics and RNA sequencing. CircRNA plays important roles in several cell signaling pathways that are associated with cancer biogenesis, including acting as miRNA sponges, transcriptional regulators, protein adaptors and protein translators. The role of circRNA in hematological malignancy has been revealed recently. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of circRNA in hematological malignancy. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted through Pubmed to summarize the published evidence on the circRNAs in hematological malignancies. English literature sources since 1976 were searched, using the terms circRNA, hematological malignancy. Results: CircRNAs can regulate the gene expression of hematological malignancies mainly through adsorbing several miRNAs. Some circRNAs are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in hematological malignancies, such as acute myloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Conclusion: CircRNAs play an important biological function and have great diagnostic and prognostic value in hematological malignancies.