A Review on Circular RNA Translation and Its Implications in Disease.

The mRNA vaccine has emerged as a powerful tool against viral infection during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the post-COVID-19 era, the applications of mRNA-based therapy continue to expand and evolve. Circular RNA (circRNA), long assumed to be a noncoding RNA, has been proven to be translatable and subsequently developed as a next-generation mRNA modality due to its higher stability and wider therapeutic window. Nonetheless, the studies of circRNA translation and its application in diseases still present numerous technical features and challenges. In this chapter, we provide a summary and discussion on the mechanisms of circRNA translation and its applications in medicine development, aiming to serve as a reference and inspiration for readers interested in circRNA-based therapy.