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Updated: Nov 17, 2025
Identification of Circular RNAs using RNA Sequencing
Published on: November 14, 2019
Differentially Expressed Circular RNA Profile in an Intracranial Aneurysm Group Compared with a Healthy Control Group
Yonggang Ma1,2,3, Baoqing Zhang4, Dong Zhang1,2,3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Insights
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) show altered expression in intracranial aneurysms (IA). This study identifies circRNA profiles and suggests the mTOR pathway as a potential therapeutic target for IA, a condition causing fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a life-threatening condition characterized by vascular rupture and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
- Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated as potential biomarkers, but their role in IA pathogenesis is not understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of circRNA expression profiling in the development of intracranial aneurysms.
- To identify potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for IA.
Main Methods:
- Differential circRNA expression analysis was performed on blood samples from IA patients and healthy controls.
- Microarray data validation was conducted using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
- Bioinformatic analyses, including miRNA target prediction and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, were employed.
Main Results:
- A total of 235 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified between IA patients and controls, with 150 upregulated and 85 downregulated.
- Five specific miRNAs were found to interact with differentially expressed circRNAs.
- Gene Ontology analysis highlighted "Homophilic cell adhesion" and "Positive regulation of cellular process" as key functions associated with targeted genes.
Conclusions:
- CircRNA expression profiling provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying IA formation.
- The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway emerges as a potential therapeutic target for treating intracranial aneurysms.
Objective:
Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a fatal disease owing to vascular rupture and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Much attention has been given to circular RNAs (circRNAs) because they may be potential biomarkers for many diseases, but their mechanism in the formation of IA remains unknown.
Methods:
circRNA expression profile analysis of blood samples was conducted between patients with IA and controls. Overall, 235 differentially expressed circRNAs were confirmed between IA patients and the control group. The reliability of the microarray results was demonstrated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
Results:
Of 235 differentially expressed genes, 150 were upregulated, while the other 85 were downregulated. Five miRNAs matched to every differential expression of circRNAs, and related MREs were predicted. We performed gene ontology (GO) analysis to identify the functions of their targeted genes, with the terms "Homophilic cell adhesion via plasma membrane adhesion molecules" and "Positive regulation of cellular process" showing the highest fold enrichment.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrated the role of circRNA expression profiling in the formation of IA and revealed that the mTOR pathway can be a latent therapeutic strategy for IA.
