Circular RNAs in inflammatory bowel disease

Front Immunol. 2023 Dec 22:14:1307985. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1307985. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term encompassing a few chronic inflammatory disorders that leads to damage of the intestinal tract. Although much progress has been made in understanding the pathology of IBD, the precise pathogenesis is not completely understood. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded, covalently closed, endogenous molecules in eukaryotes with a variety of biological functions. CircRNAs have been shown to have regulatory effects in many diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders. CircRNAs have also been found to play important roles in IBD, and although they are not sufficiently investigated in the context of IBD, a few circRNAs have been identified as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of IBD and as potential therapeutic targets for IBD. Herein, we survey recent progress in understanding the functions and roles of circRNAs in IBD and discuss their potential clinical applications.

Keywords: circular RNA; inflammation; inflammatory bowel disease; intestinal epithelial barrier; pathogenesis.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cardiovascular Diseases*
  • Humans
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / genetics
  • RNA, Circular / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Circular

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The work is supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (82073061, 32000434), Shandong Natural Science Foundation (ZR2020MH206, ZR2020QH193) and Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2020YFA0803300).