A Preliminary Study of CircRNA Expression Characteristics in the Progression of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) progression involves complex genetic changes. This study examines circRNA expression in CRC to identify biomarkers for improved diagnosis and staging. The objective of this study is to explore the role of circular RNA (circRNA) in CRC progression and identify specific circRNA biomarkers. Using high-throughput circRNA chip technology, cancerous and adjacent tissues from three CRC patients (staged as T1-3N0M0) were analyzed to identify differentially expressed circRNAs. Bioinformatics analyses, including co-expression network construction, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations, were performed to evaluate circRNA function and pathways. A total of 404 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, with significant variations between cancerous and adjacent tissues. Trend analysis revealed that circRNA expression decreased progressively with CRC advancement. Co-expression network analysis highlighted eight key circRNAs, including hsa_circ_0000007, associated with CRC progression. GO and KEGG analyses indicated these circRNAs are involved in ribosome biogenesis, metabolism, and the regulation of G1-S phase transcription through the RB1 gene. The expression of hsa_circ_0000007, hsa_circ_0023608, hsa_circ_0026694, and hsa_circ_0029903 decreased as CRC progressed, suggesting their potential as biomarkers for CRC diagnosis and staging. These findings offer insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying CRC progression.