Research progress of circular RNA as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for clinical diseases

Circular RNA(circRNA)is a class of endogenous non-coding RNA molecules, which is ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells.They have a closed ring structure, and are mainly composed of exons and / or introns.Circular RNAs have been widely studied in recent years, and studies show that they are remarkably stable, highly conserved and cell- or tissue-specifically expressed.Recently, it has been found that circRNAs can regulate gene expression at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level by interacting with microRNAs and other molecules.Recent studies have shown that circular RNA may be associated with various diseases, including atherosclerotic vascular disease, prion diseases, neurological disorders, osteoarthritis and diabetes mellitus.In addition, circular RNAs exhibit abnormal expression in a variety of types of cancers, including colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and gastric cancer.Therefore, we believe that circular RNA can be used as a diagnostic marker or therapeutic target of clinical diseases.This article reviews the potential of circular RNA as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target. Key words: Circular RNA; Diagnosis; Prognosis; Biomarkers