Open AccessCurrent research on circular RNAs and their potential clinical implications in breast cancer
Author(s) -
Diya Liu,
Lin Fang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
cancer biology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.517
H-Index - 42
ISSN - 2095-3941
DOI - 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0275
Subject(s) - microrna , breast cancer , circular rna , carcinogenesis , metastasis , biology , competing endogenous rna , cancer research , cancer , long non coding rna , regulation of gene expression , gene , bioinformatics , computational biology , rna , genetics
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers and the leading causes of death among women worldwide, and its morbidity rate is growing. Discovery of novel biomarkers is necessary for early BC detection, treatment, and prognostication. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel type of endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed continuous loops, have been found to have a crucial role in tumorigenesis. Studies have demonstrated that circRNAs are aberrantly expressed in the tumor tissues and plasma of patients with BC, and they modulate gene expression affecting the proliferation, metastasis, and chemoresistance of BC by specifically binding and regulating the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs). Therefore, circRNAs can be used as novel potential diagnostic and prognostic markers, and therapeutic targets for BC. This article summarizes the properties, functions, and regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs, particularly current research on their association with BC proliferation, metastasis, and chemoresistance.