Abstract
Pre-messenger RNA molecules are back-spliced to create circular RNAs, which are non-coding RNA molecules. After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that these circRNAs have critical biological roles. CircRNAs have a variety of biological functions, including their ability to operate as microRNA sponges, interact with proteins to alter their stabilities and activities, and provide templates for the translation of proteins. Evidence supports a link between the emergence of numerous diseases, including various cancer types, and dysregulated circRNA expression. It is commonly known that a significant contributing element to cancer development is the disruption of numerous molecular pathways essential for preserving cellular and tissue homeostasis. The dysregulation of multiple biological processes is one of the hallmarks of cancer, and the molecular pathways linked to these processes are thought to be promising targets for therapeutic intervention. The biological and carcinogenic effects of circRNAs in the context of cancer are thoroughly reviewed in this article. Specifically, we highlight circRNAs’ involvement in signal transduction pathways and their possible use as novel biomarkers for the early identification and prognosis of human cancer.
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Abbreviations
- ncRNAs:
-
Non-coding RNAs
- mRNA:
-
Messenger RNA
- LncRNA:
-
Long non-coding RNA
- piRNA:
-
PIWI-interacting RNAs
- miRNA:
-
microRNA
- siRNA:
-
small interfering RNA
- circRNA:
-
Circular RNA
- ceRNA:
-
Competing endogenous RNA
- RBPs:
-
RNA-binding proteins
- MBNL1:
-
Muscleblind-like protein 1
- EIciRNA:
-
Exon–intron circRNA
- IRES:
-
Internal ribosome entry site
- MET:
-
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition
- NSCLC:
-
Non-small cell lung cancer
- PTK2:
-
Protein tyrosine kinase 2
- TGFβ:
-
Transforming growth factor-β
- TIF1γ:
-
Transcriptional intermediary factor 1 gamma
- SMARCA5:
-
SWI/SNF-elated, matrix-associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily A, member 5
- GC:
-
Gastric cancer
- TNBC:
-
Triple-negative breast cancer
- FoxO3:
-
Forkhead box O-3
- CDH19:
-
Cadherin-19
- GLIS3:
-
GLIS family zinc finger 3 isoform
- AIF1L:
-
Allograft inflammatory factor 1 like
- TNM:
-
Tumor, nodes, and metastases
- CRC:
-
Colorectal cancer
- LATS1:
-
large tumor suppressor gene 1
- EPHA3:
-
Ephrin tyrosine kinase a3
- PDE4D:
-
Phosphodiesterase 4D
- BMP-2:
-
Bone morphogenetic protein 2
- DNMT3A:
-
DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha
- SEMA5A:
-
Semaphorin 5A
- CCNE1:
-
Cyclin E1
- CDR1:
-
Cerebellum degeneration-related antigen 1
- TLK1:
-
Tousled-like kinase 1
- HCC:
-
Hepatocellular carcinoma
- PD-L1:
-
Programmed cell death ligand 1
- FGFR1:
-
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 protein
- CXCR-4:
-
C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4
- MAPK:
-
Mitogen-activated protein kinase
- ERK:
-
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase
- PI3K:
-
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase
- AKT:
-
Protein kinase B
- NF-κB:
-
Nuclear factor kappa B
- WNT5A:
-
Wnt family member 5A
- NIPBL:
-
Nipped-B-like protein
- ZEB1:
-
Zinc finger E‐box binding homeobox 1
- PHF16:
-
PHD finger protein 16
- RNF128:
-
Ring finger protein 128
- FZD5:
-
Frizzled class receptor 5
- ITCH:
-
Itchy E3 ubiquitin protein ligase
- FUS:
-
Fused in sarcoma
- SP:
-
Specificity protein 1
- EIF4A3:
-
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3
- CAPG:
-
Capping actin protein, gelsolin-like
- NFATC3:
-
Nuclear factor of activated T cells 3
- CTNNB1:
-
Catenin beta 1
- PLAGL2:
-
Pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2
- MTSS1:
-
Metastasis suppressor
- NEK6:
-
NIMA-related kinase 6
- CDK13:
-
Cyclin-dependent kinase 13
- NOL10:
-
Nucleolar protein 10
- SOCS2:
-
Suppressors of cytokine signaling 2
- SPARC:
-
Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine
- OSCC:
-
Oral squamous cell carcinoma
- STAT3:
-
Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3
- JAK:
-
Janus kinase
- ANKIB1:
-
Ankyrin repeat and IBR domain containing 1
- NRIP1:
-
Nuclear receptor-interacting protein 1
- MAPK:
-
Mitogen activated protein kinases
- TFAP2C:
-
Transcription factor AP‐2 gamma
- TRIM29:
-
Tripartite motif containing 29
- IL4R:
-
Interleukin 4 receptor
- IGF1R:
-
Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor
- PIP5K1A:
-
Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase type 1 alpha
- TCF12:
-
Transcription factor 12
- HIPK3:
-
Homeodomain interacting protein kinase 3
- NUPR1:
-
Nuclear protein 1
- CSPP1:
-
Centrosome and spindle pole associated protein
- ITGB1:
-
Integrin beta 1
- mTOR:
-
Mammalian target of rapamycin
- PTEN:
-
Phosphatase and TENsin homolog deleted on chromosome 10
- ACTR2:
-
Actin related protein 2
- TAZ:
-
Tafazzin
- eEF2:
-
Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 2
- F-actin:
-
Filamentous actin
- LATS2:
-
Large tumor suppressor kinase 2
- PPP1R12A:
-
Protein phosphatase 1, regulatory subunit 12a
- XRN2:
-
5′-3′-exoribonuclease 2
- YAP:
-
Yes-associated protein
- ROCK1:
-
Rho-associated protein kinase 1
- IPO7:
-
Importin 7
- CEP128:
-
Centrosomal protein 128
- MYD88:
-
Myeloid differentiation primary response 88
- PVT1:
-
Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 gene
- SLC7A11:
-
Solute carrier family 7 member 11
- UBE4B:
-
Ubiquitination factor E4B
- CORO1C:
-
Coronin‐like actin‐binding protein 1C
- GLIS2:
-
GLIS family zinc finger 2
- IKBKB:
-
Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase subunit beta
- IKK:
-
IκB kinase
- IκBα:
-
Nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitor alpha
- ABHD5:
-
α/β-Hydrolase domain-containing protein 5
- ATGL:
-
Adipose triglyceride lipase
- TNF-α:
-
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
- TLR4:
-
Toll-like receptors
- CSC:
-
Cancer stem cell
- IPO11:
-
Importin-11
- TOP1:
-
DNA topoisomerase I
- GLI1:
-
Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1
- CYR61:
-
Cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61
- DCAF6:
-
DDB1 and CUL4 associated factor 6
- SLC6A6:
-
Solute carrier family 6 member 6
- HSP90:
-
Heat shock protein 90
- NFIX:
-
Nuclear factor I X
- APLP2:
-
Amyloid precursor-like protein 2
- CRISPR:
-
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats
- Cas:
-
CRISPR-associated protein
- MMP:
-
Matrix metallopeptidase
- APLP2:
-
Amyloid precursor-like protein 2
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ROS, SISA-H, BDO, AH: Conceptualization, Writing—Original Draft. KHO, MJA, SSJ: Conceptualization, Writing—Review & editing, Visualization. A Alawadi, A Alsalamy: Conceptualization. SAJ: Supervision.
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Saleh, R.O., Al-Hawary, S.I.S., Jasim, S.A. et al. A therapeutical insight into the correlation between circRNAs and signaling pathways involved in cancer pathogenesis. Med Oncol 41, 69 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-023-02275-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-023-02275-4