The role of circular RNAs in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a group of regulatory non-coding transcripts, which partake in the pathobiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Numerous micro-array based investigations have discovered aberrant expression of circRNAs in HCC samples in comparison with para-cancerous sections. Furthermore, a number of in vitro and in vivo experimentations have aimed at understanding the molecular pathways of circRNAs contribution in the evolution of HCC. CircRNAs have interplay with a number of transcription factors such as ZEB1 that possibly mediates the effects of these transcripts in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Moreover, circRNAs functionally interact with miRNAs. CircRNA_0000502/ miR-124, circ_0001955/ miR-145-5p, circ_0001955/ miR-516a-5p and hsa_circ_0001955/miR-145-5p are examples of such interactions in the context of HCC. CircRNAs not only predict the course of HCC, but also, they can differentiate HCC samples from non-malignant liver tissues. In this review article, we have provided an inclusive summary of researches that quantified circRNAs profile in HCC. We also provide evidence for application of circRNAs as HCC biomarkers.