环状RNA研究进展及临床应用

环状RNA(circular RNA, circRNA)是一类产生于RNA剪切过程的封闭环形RNA分子, 主要由外显子和(或)内含子构成, 广泛存在于真核细胞内, 具有稳定性、物种保守性以及细胞、组织特异性。环状RNA参与细胞内RNA调控网络, 与疾病的发生和发展密切相关, 可能成为新型的生物标记物及治疗靶点。近年来, 关于环状RNA产生、调控、生物学特性、功能及其与疾病的关系等均取得了较大的研究进展。本文综述了真核细胞内源性环状RNA的研究进展及其与疾病的关联。
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a species of RNAs with covalently closed loop structure and are widely expressed in eukaryocyte. Consisting of exons and/or introns, circRNAs are generated during the process of RNA splicing and are found to be relatively stable, evolutionally conserved and tissue/cell-specific. A few studies have indicated that circRNAs may participate in the RNA-RNA regulation network or RNA-protein complex formation and thus are involved in a diversity of diseases, including cancer. Here we reviewed the currently available outcomes and progress of researches concerning circRNAs and the potential relationship between diseases and circRNAs