Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Medical Research Center, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
Mol Ther. 2021 May 5;29(5):1683-1702. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.01.018. Epub 2021 Jan 21.
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are RNAs with a unique circular structure that is generated from back-splicing processes. These circular molecules were discovered more than 40 years ago but failed to raise scientific interest until lately. Increasing studies have found that these circular RNAs might not just be byproducts of the splicing process but possess important regulatory functions through different cellular events. Most circular RNAs are currently being studied in the field of cancer, and many of them have been confirmed to be involved in the process of tumorigenesis. However, many circular RNAs are implicated in the developmental stages of diseases other than cancer. In this review, we focus on discussing the role of circular RNAs in non-cancer diseases, especially in cardiovascular diseases. Following the summary of the life cycle of circRNAs, we provide input on studying circRNA-protein interactions based on our experience, which modulate protein translocation. Furthermore, we outline the potential of circRNAs to be potent biomarkers, effective therapeutic targets, and potential treatments in cardiovascular diseases as well as other non-cancer fields.
环状 RNA（circRNAs）是一种具有独特环状结构的 RNA，由反向剪接过程产生。这些环状分子早在 40 多年前就被发现，但直到最近才引起科学界的兴趣。越来越多的研究发现，这些环状 RNA 可能不仅仅是剪接过程的副产物，而是通过不同的细胞事件具有重要的调节功能。目前，大多数环状 RNA 都在癌症领域进行研究，其中许多已被证实参与了肿瘤发生过程。然而，许多环状 RNA 与癌症以外的疾病的发育阶段有关。在这篇综述中，我们重点讨论了环状 RNA 在非癌症疾病中的作用，特别是在心血管疾病中的作用。在总结环状 RNA 生命周期之后，我们根据经验提供了关于环状 RNA-蛋白相互作用研究的投入，这些相互作用调节蛋白易位。此外，我们概述了环状 RNA 作为心血管疾病以及其他非癌症领域的有效治疗靶点和潜在治疗方法的潜在可能性。
