Functions of circular RNAs and their potential applications in gastric cancer (Review)

Xia,Kuanyu; Wang,Zuzhen; Liu,Bing; Wang,Wenjun; Liu,Yang; Tang,Jianzhou; Yan,Jinpeng

doi:10.3892/ol.2023.13803

Functions of circular RNAs and their potential applications in gastric cancer (Review)

This article is part of the special Issue: Non-coding RNA at the Frontier of Early Diagnosis, Prognosis Evaluation, and Cancer Treatments
Authors:
- Kuanyu Xia
- Zuzhen Wang
- Bing Liu
- Wenjun Wang
- Yang Liu
- Jianzhou Tang
- Jinpeng Yan
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Affiliations: Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P.R. China, Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410017, P.R. China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Quality Control of Aquatic Animals, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University, Changsha, Hunan 410022, P.R. China
Published online on: April 12, 2023 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2023.13803
Article Number: 217

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Abstract

As the fifth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer‑related death in the world, gastric cancer (GC) poses a potential threat to human health. However, there is still a lack of effective means for the early screening and treatment of GC, and therefore, GC remains a difficult disease to overcome. With the continuous in‑depth research on circular RNAs (circRNAs), an increasing body of evidence indicates that circRNAs play an important role in a wide variety of diseases, particularly cancer. Proliferation, invasion and metastatic spread of cancer cells are strongly associated with abnormal circRNA expression. Hence, circRNAs are considered a candidate biomarker for GC diagnosis and prognosis, and a target for cancer treatment. The focus has been on the association of GC with circRNAs, thus it is necessary to briefly review and summarize the relevant research to provide the research findings across the area to researchers, and to indicate the direction for future research. The present review provides an overview on the biogenesis and functions of circRNAs in GC, predicting their possible clinical application as ideal biomarkers and potential targets of treatment in GC.

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