Circular RNAs: characteristics, biogenesis, mechanisms and functions in liver cancer

Journal of Hematology & Oncology

Hao Shen¹  Boqiang Liu¹  Liang Shi²  Junjie Xu²  Yifan Wang²  Bin Zhang²  Xiujun Cai³ 

[1] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, 310016, Hangzhou, China;

关键词: CircRNAs;    Characteristics;    Biogenesis;    Functions;    Mechanisms;    Liver cancer;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13045-021-01145-8

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies globally. Despite aggressive and multimodal treatment regimens, the overall survival of HCC patients remains poor.MainCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) with covalently closed structures and tissue- or organ-specific expression patterns in eukaryotes. They are highly stable and have important biological functions, including acting as microRNA sponges, protein scaffolds, transcription regulators, translation templates and interacting with RNA-binding protein. Recent advances have indicated that circRNAs present abnormal expression in HCC tissues and that their dysregulation contributes to HCC initiation and progression. Furthermore, researchers have revealed that some circRNAs might serve as diagnostic biomarkers or drug targets in clinical settings. In this review, we systematically evaluate the characteristics, biogenesis, mechanisms and functions of circRNAs in HCC and further discuss the current shortcomings and potential directions of prospective studies on liver cancer-related circRNAs.ConclusionCircRNAs are a novel class of ncRNAs that play a significant role in HCC initiation and progression, but their internal mechanisms and clinical applications need further investigation.

【 授权许可】

CC BY