Mahmoudi Ebrahim, Cairns Murray J
School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
Subcell Biochem. 2023;102:249-270. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-21410-3_10.
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closed-loop RNA transcripts formed by a noncanonical back splicing mechanism. circRNAs are expressed in various tissues and cell types in a temporospatially regulated manner and have diverse molecular functions including their ability to act as miRNA sponges, transcriptional and splicing regulators, protein traps, and even templates for polypeptide synthesis. Emerging evidence suggests that circRNAs are themselves dynamically regulated throughout development in various organisms, with a substantial accumulation during ageing. Their regulatory roles in cellular pathways associated with ageing and senescence, as well as their implications in ageing-related diseases, such as neurological disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, suggest that circRNAs are key molecular determinants of the ageing process. Their unique structure, expression specificity, and biological functions highlight a potential capacity for use as novel biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcomes in a variety of conditions including pathological ageing. CircRNA may also have potential as target for interventions that manipulate ageing and longevity. In this chapter, we discuss the most recent advances in circRNA changes in ageing and ageing-associated disease.
环状RNA（circRNAs）是通过非经典反向剪接机制形成的闭环RNA转录本。circRNAs以时空调节的方式在各种组织和细胞类型中表达，并具有多种分子功能，包括作为miRNA海绵、转录和剪接调节因子、蛋白质陷阱，甚至作为多肽合成模板的能力。新出现的证据表明，circRNAs在各种生物体的整个发育过程中本身受到动态调节，在衰老过程中大量积累。它们在与衰老和衰老相关的细胞途径中的调节作用，以及它们在与衰老相关疾病（如神经疾病、癌症和心血管疾病）中的影响，表明circRNAs是衰老过程的关键分子决定因素。它们独特的结构、表达特异性和生物学功能突出了其在包括病理性衰老在内的各种情况下用作诊断、预后和治疗结果的新型生物标志物的潜在能力。CircRNA也可能作为操纵衰老和寿命的干预靶点。在本章中，我们讨论了circRNA在衰老和衰老相关疾病中的最新研究进展。
