Review of novel functions and implications of circular RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma

Zheng Liu; Fangming Yang; Zhun Xiao; Yuexuan Liu

doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1093063

Review of novel functions and implications of circular RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma

Front Oncol. 2023 Feb 20:13:1093063. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1093063. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zheng Liu¹, Fangming Yang², Zhun Xiao², Yuexuan Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, School of Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.
² Department of Digestive Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies, with high incidence and mortality. As the majority of HCC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and die of recurrence and metastasis, its pathology and new biomarkers are needed. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a large subclass of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with covalently closed loop structures and abundant, conserved, stable, tissue-specific expression in mammalian cells. CircRNAs exert multiple functions in HCC initiation, growth and progression, serving as promising biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic targets for this disease. This review briefly describes the biogenesis and biological functions of circRNAs and elucidates the roles of circRNAs in the development and progression of HCC, especially regarding epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), drug resistance and interactions with epigenetic modifications. In addition, this review highlights the implications of circRNAs as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC. We hope to provide novel insight into the roles of circRNAs in HCC.

Keywords: circular RNAs; drug resistance; epigenetic modifications; functions; hepatocellular carcinoma; implications.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos: 82104772 and 82205208) and the Doctoral Startup Fund of Henan University of Chinese Medicine (No: 00104311).