Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 30, 2025

In Silico Identification and Characterization of circRNAs During Host-Pathogen Interactions
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In Silico Identification and Characterization of circRNAs During Host-Pathogen Interactions

Published on: October 21, 2022

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Circular RNAs: Emerging Regulators of the Major Signaling Pathways Involved in Cancer Progression

Maria Papatsirou1, Pinelopi I Artemaki1, Paraskevi Karousi1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece.

Cancers
|July 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulate key cell signaling pathways, impacting cancer progression. Understanding circRNA roles offers potential for new cancer biomarkers and therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular Signaling
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Signal transduction is crucial for cellular functions, with most cascades altering gene expression.
  • Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable, specific transcripts with regulatory roles in disease, including cancer.
  • Aberrant circRNA expression is implicated in cancer pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on circRNA-mediated signaling regulation in cancer progression.
  • To explore the biomarker potential of circRNAs.
  • To discuss future therapeutic applications of circRNAs in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on circRNAs and cancer signaling pathways.
  • Analysis of circRNA involvement in major signaling cascades (VEGF, WNT/β-catenin, MAPK, PI3K/AKT, Notch).
  • Discussion of circRNA-driven modulation of cancer hallmarks.

Main Results:

  • CircRNAs regulate major signaling pathways like VEGF, WNT/β-catenin, MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and Notch in cancer.
  • CircRNAs interfere with signaling crosstalk, influencing angiogenesis, invasion, migration, and metastasis.
  • Deregulated signaling mediated by circRNAs impacts hallmarks of cancer.

Conclusions:

  • CircRNAs play significant roles in mediating cancer progression through signaling pathway dysregulation.
  • CircRNAs show promise as biomarkers for cancer detection and prognosis.
  • Targeting circRNAs presents potential therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
Keywords:
MAPK/ERKPI3K/AKTWNT/β-CateninbiomarkerscircRNAmetastasismiRNAssignal transductionsignaling cascadestargeted therapy

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