CircRNAs in Lung-intestinal Axis Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Background:

• The "exterior-interior relationship between the lung and the large intestine" is a fundamental TCM theory.
• The lung-intestinal axis extends this concept, with growing evidence supporting its relevance in disease.
• Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable noncoding RNAs implicated in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of circRNAs in cancers of the lung-intestinal axis.
• To identify common circRNAs dysregulated in these cancers.
• To explore the mechanisms by which circRNAs influence cancer progression.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on circRNAs in lung and intestinal cancers.
• Analysis of circRNA expression patterns in lung-intestinal axis cancers.
• Investigation of circRNA-miRNA interactions (sponging).

Main Results:

• Common circRNAs are found to be either highly or poorly expressed in lung-intestinal axis cancers.
• These circRNAs primarily regulate cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
• A key mechanism involves circRNAs acting as miRNA sponges.

Conclusions:

• CircRNAs provide molecular evidence supporting the TCM "lung-large intestine" exterior-interior relationship.
• Dysregulated circRNAs are significant in lung-intestinal axis cancers.
• CircRNAs represent promising therapeutic targets for future drug development in these diseases.