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Updated: Aug 28, 2025

Identification of Circular RNAs using RNA Sequencing
Published on: November 14, 2019
Circular RNAs Involved in the Regulation of the Age-Related Pathways
Siqi Wang1,2, Feng Xiao1,2, Jiamei Li1,2
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
Abstract:
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of covalently circular noncoding RNAs that have been extensively studied in recent years. Aging is a process related to functional decline that is regulated by signal transduction. An increasing number of studies suggest that circRNAs can regulate aging and multiple age-related diseases through their involvement in age-related signaling pathways. CircRNAs perform several biological functions, such as acting as miRNA sponges, directly interacting with proteins, and regulating transcription and translation to proteins or peptides. Herein, we summarize research progress on the biological functions of circRNAs in seven main age-related signaling pathways, namely, the insulin-insulin-like, PI3K-AKT, mTOR, AMPK, FOXO, p53, and NF-κB signaling pathways. In these pathways, circRNAs mainly function as miRNA sponges. In this review, we suggest that circRNAs are widely involved in the regulation of the main age-related pathways and are potential biomarkers for aging and age-related diseases.
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