Disease-Associated Circular RNAs: From Biology to Computational Identification

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics
• Genomics

Background:

• Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are unique RNA molecules formed by back-splicing.
• circRNAs are emerging as significant biomarkers for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's.
• Accurate identification of disease-associated circRNAs is crucial for diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the biology of circRNAs, including biogenesis, characteristics, and functions.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of computational tools for circRNA analysis.
• To survey key databases for circRNA research.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of circRNA biology and research.
• Cataloging and description of approximately 30 bioinformatic tools for circRNA identification and analysis.
• Compilation of over 20 relevant computational databases.

Main Results:

• Detailed summary of circRNA biogenesis, characteristics, and functions.
• Presentation of a wide array of publicly available computational tools for studying circRNAs.
• An extensive list of frequently used circRNA databases.

Conclusions:

• This review offers a comprehensive summary of circRNA biology.
• It highlights essential computational strategies and resources for genome-wide circRNA identification and prediction.
• The identified resources will facilitate downstream applications in disease research.