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Updated: Jun 15, 2025
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Identification of Circular RNAs using RNA Sequencing
Published on: November 14, 2019
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Circular RNA, A Molecule with Potential Chemistry and Applications in RNA-based Cancer Therapeutics: An Insight into
Zahra Shafaghat1, Safa Radmehr2, Saber Saharkhiz3
1Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Topics in Current Chemistry (Cham)
|May 9, 2025
Summary
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable, non-coding RNA molecules involved in gene regulation. Their unique structure and role in cancer highlight their potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulate gene expression without protein synthesis.
- Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a distinct class of ncRNAs with a stable, covalently closed structure.
- CircRNAs play crucial roles in gene regulation, similar to microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the biogenesis and functions of circRNAs.
- To investigate the involvement of circRNAs in cancer development and progression.
- To discuss the potential of circRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic agents.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on circRNA biogenesis and function.
- Analysis of circRNA involvement in cancer hallmarks.
- Discussion of circRNA applications in diagnostics and therapeutics.
Main Results:
- CircRNAs are formed via reverse splicing and are highly stable due to their circular structure.
- Five main types of circRNAs exist: exon circRNAs, circular intronic RNAs, exon-intron circRNAs, intergenic circRNAs, and fusion circRNAs.
- CircRNAs significantly impact cancer hallmarks like proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis.
Conclusions:
- CircRNAs are key regulators of gene expression with implications in cancer.
- Their stability and regulatory functions make them promising candidates for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
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