As a new kind of RNA, circular RNA (circRNA) is a endogenous non-coding RNA with circular structure, which has the characteristics of universality, stability, conservatism and specificity. CircRNA can specifically bind to microRNAs (miRNAs) in the form of competitive endogenous RNA, thus directly or indirectly regulating the expression of related genes. In addition to the role of sponge, circRNA also regulates parental gene expression, transcriptional translation and protein modification; and it can be used as a biomarker to develop potential diagnosis and treatment methods and evaluate prognosis. Due to changes in dietary habits and genetic factors, the morbidity and mortality of esophageal cancer (EC) in the world are still high, and are prone to early metastasis. Although the diagnosis and treatment techniques have been improved in recent years, the early diagnosis of EC is not common, and the 5-year survival rate of patients is still very low. This article reviews the function and significance of circRNA and discusses the research progress of circRNA as biomarkers in EC.
Keywords: Biomarker; Circular RNA; Esophageal cancer; Sponge effect.
© The Author(s) 2020.