CircRNAs: A Promising Star for Treatment and Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

CircRNAs are a class of endogenous long non-coding RNAs with a single-stranded circular structure. Most circRNAs are relatively stable, highly conserved, and specifically expressed in tissue during the cell and developmental stages. Many circRNAs have been discovered in OSCC. OSCC is one of the most severe and frequent forms of head and neck cancer today, with a poor prognosis and low overall survival rate. Due to its prevalence, OSCC is a global health concern, characterized by genetic and epigenomic changes. However, the mechanism remains vague. With the advancement of biotechnology, a large number of circRNAs have been discovered in mammalian cells. CircRNAs are dysregulated in OSCC tissues and thus associated with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of OSCC patients. Research studies have demonstrated that circRNAs can serve as biomarkers for OSCC diagnosis and treatment. Here, we summarized the properties, functions, and biogenesis of circRNAs, focusing on the progress of current research on circRNAs in OSCC.

The novel circ_0004674/miR‐139‐5p/ZBTB2 regulatory cascade inhibits the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma

“…Accumulating investigations have uncovered the important biological functions of circRNAs in the development of various cancers, 4 including OSCC. 20 For example, multiple circRNAs, such as circFNDC3B, circEPSTI1, and circ_LPAR3, have been identified as strong promoters in OSCC progression and metastasis. [21][22][23] Moreover, circ_0069313 contributes to OSCC immunity escape to induce this disease progression by targeting miR-325-3p/Foxp3 axis.…”