In diabetic patients, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness and seriously affects the quality of life. However, current treatment methods of DR are not satisfactory. Advances have been made in understanding abnormal protein interactions and signaling pathways in DR pathology, but little is known about epigenetic regulation. Non-coding RNAs, such as circular RNAs (circRNAs), have been shown to be associated with DR. In this review, we summarized the function of circRNAs and indicated their roles in the pathogenesis of DR, which may provide new therapeutic targets for clinical treatment.
Keywords: Circular RNAs; Diabetic retinopathy; MicroRNA sponge; Non-coding RNAs.