An Overview of the Advances in Research on the Molecular Function and Specific Role of Circular RNA in Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

In recent years, the rate of residents suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD), disability, and death has risen significantly. The latest report on CVD in China shows that it still has the highest mortality rate of all diseases in that country. Different from linear RNA, circular RNA (circRNA) is a covalently closed transcript, mainly through reverse splicing so that the 3 ′ end and the 5 ′ end are covalently connected to form a closed loop structure. It is structurally stable and abundant and has distinct tissue or cell specificity, and it is widely distributed in eukaryotes. Although circRNAs were discovered many years ago, researchers have only recently begun to slowly discover their extensive expression and regulatory functions in various biological processes. Studies have found that some circRNAs perform multiple functions in cells more used as RNA binding protein or microRNA sponge. In addition, accumulating evidence shows that the first change that occurs in patients with various metabolic diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease is dysregulated circRNA expression. For cardiovascular and other related blood vessels, circRNA is one of the important causes of various complications. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding and grasp of CVD, and the related molecular mechanisms of CVD should be further analyzed. Here, we review the new understanding of circRNAs in CVD and explain the role of these innovative biomarkers in the analysis and determination of other related cardiovascular events such as coronary heart disease. Thus, this study is aimed at providing new ideas and proposing more feasible medical research strategies based on circRNA.

Expression profiles of circRNAs and identification of hsa_circ_0007608 and hsa_circ_0064656 as potential biomarkers for COPD-PH patients

“…Bioinformatics tools has been widely applied in oncology to identify genetic changes and new potential biomarkers associated with various diseases [14][15][16] . Likewise, researchers have tried to apply bioinformtics analysis in the study of PH to to elucidate the potential functions of circRNAs related to PH, mostly based on databases and animal experiments [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] .…”

Epigenome-Driven Strategies for Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy

“…These “back spliced” RNAs present covalently closed loops and are independent of the linear transcripts encoded by the same gene of origin. 48 The biosynthesis of circRNAs is related to the regulation of tumor development, metastasis and the expression of multidrug resistance associated proteins in liver cancer and glioma. 49 In NSCLC mice, anti-PD-L1 therapy associated with hsa_circ_0003222 inhibition contributed to reducing both tumor volume and cellular resistance to anti-PD L1 therapy in NSCLC cells.…”

Epigenetic modifications: Critical participants of the PD‑L1 regulatory mechanism in solid tumors (Review)

“…Regulation of PD-L1 expression in solid tumors by circRNAs. circRNAs comprise a large class of endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed loops that function independently of linear transcripts transcribed from the same gene (158). circRNAs are mostly generated through a process of 'back splicing', in which downstream splice donor sites are covalently linked to upstream splice acceptor sites, and are abundant in the cytoplasm (159).…”