Tucker Dwayne, Zheng Wei, Zhang Da-Hong, Dong Xuesen
Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
Department of Urology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.
World J Clin Oncol. 2020 Aug 24;11(8):563-572. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v11.i8.563.
Advancing knowledge of the transcriptome has revealed that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are widely expressed and evolutionarily conserved molecules that may serve relevant biological roles. More interesting is the accumulating evidence which demonstrates the implication of circRNAs in diseases, especially cancers. This revelation has helped to form the rationale for many studies exploring their utility as clinical biomarkers. CircRNAs are highly stable due to their unique structures, exhibit some tissue specificity, and are enriched in exosomes, which facilitate their detection in a range of body fluids. These properties make circRNAs ideal candidates for biomarker development in many diseases. This review will outline the discovery, biogenesis, and proposed functions of circRNAs.
转录组知识的不断进步表明，环状RNA（circRNA）是广泛表达且在进化上保守的分子，可能具有相关生物学功能。更有趣的是，越来越多的证据表明circRNA与疾病，尤其是癌症有关。这一发现为许多探索其作为临床生物标志物效用的研究提供了理论依据。circRNA由于其独特的结构而高度稳定，表现出一定的组织特异性，并且在外泌体中富集，这便于它们在一系列体液中被检测到。这些特性使circRNA成为许多疾病生物标志物开发的理想候选者。本综述将概述circRNA的发现、生物发生及其假定的功能。
