Circular RNAs Sparkle in the Diagnosis and Theranostics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Exonic circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel subgroup of non-coding RNAs, which are generated by a back-splicing mechanism of the exons or introns. Unlike the linear RNA, circRNA forms a covalently closed loop, and it normally appears more abundant than the linear products of its host gene. Due to the relatively high specificity and stability of circular RNAs in tissues and body fluid, circular RNAs have attracted widely scientific interest for its potential application in cancer diagnosis and as a guide for preclinical therapy, especially for hard-to-treat cancers with high heterogeneity, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, we summarize the updated knowledge of circular RNAs, including the mechanism of the generation of endogenous circular RNAs and their regulatory, diagnostic, and therapeutic roles in HCC.

Identification of RNA binding protein interacting with circular RNA and hub candidate network for hepatocellular carcinoma

“…of Wnt signaling and subsequently restraining the growth of HCC stem cells [14]. Therefore, we hypothesized that some DEcircRNAs may also exert effects on HCC by interacting with RBPs and thus explored the potential RBP-circRNA regulatory network in HCC.…”