CircRNAs: emerging players in tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance mechanisms in solid tumors.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have revolutionized the treatment of several malignancies, including both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. However, the development of resistance to TKIs is a key clinical challenge, resulting in disease progression and therapeutic failure. CircRNAs, a class of covalently closed non-coding RNA molecules, are now recognized as key players in this process. Dysregulation of circRNAs leads to TKI resistance by influencing key pathways such as apoptosis, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and alternative kinase activation. While challenges in clinical translation persist, advances in RNA-targeted technologies and detailed mechanistic assays are expected to enable application of circRNA-based interventions to overcome TKI resistance. This review summarizes the current knowledge on circRNAs in the context of TKI resistance in solid tumors, highlighting their functional roles, fundamental mechanisms, and possible clinical applications in bypassing drug resistance and refining cancer therapy outcomes.