Advanced approaches of the use of circRNAs as a replacement for cancer therapy

Goran Sedeeq Hama Faraj; Bashdar Mahmud Hussen; Snur Rasool Abdullah; Mohammed Fatih Rasul; Yasaman Hajiesmaeili; Aria Baniahmad; Mohammad Taheri

doi:10.1016/j.ncrna.2024.03.012

Advanced approaches of the use of circRNAs as a replacement for cancer therapy

Noncoding RNA Res. 2024 Mar 30;9(3):811-830. doi: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2024.03.012. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Authors

Goran Sedeeq Hama Faraj¹, Bashdar Mahmud Hussen^{2

3}, Snur Rasool Abdullah⁴, Mohammed Fatih Rasul⁵, Yasaman Hajiesmaeili⁶, Aria Baniahmad⁷, Mohammad Taheri^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Komar University of Science and Technology, Sulaymaniyah, 46001, Iraq.
² Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Science, Cihan University-Erbil, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, 44001, Iraq.
³ Department of Clinical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, 44001, Iraq.
⁴ Medical Laboratory Science, Lebanese French University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, 44001, Iraq.
⁵ Department of Pharmaceutical Basic Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tishk International University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
⁶ Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
⁸ Urology and Nephrology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Cancer is a broad name for a group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow out of control and are characterized by their complexity and recurrence. Although there has been progress in cancer therapy with the entry of precision medicine and immunotherapy, cancer incidence rates have increased globally. Non-coding RNAs in the form of circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial roles in the pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, and therapy of different diseases, including cancer. According to recent studies, circRNAs appear to serve as accurate indicators and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. However, circRNAs are promising candidates for cutting-edge cancer therapy because of their distinctive circular structure, stability, and wide range of capabilities; many challenges persist that decrease the applications of circRNA-based cancer therapeutics. Here, we explore the roles of circRNAs as a replacement for cancer therapy, highlight the main challenges facing circRNA-based cancer therapies, and discuss the key strategies to overcome these challenges to improve advanced innovative therapies based on circRNAs with long-term health effects.

Keywords: Cancer; Cancer therapy; Challenges; CircRNAs; Strategies.

Publication types

Review