Role of circular RNAs in colorectal tumor microenvironment

Viralippurath Ashraf, J; Sasidharan Nair, V; Saleh, R; Elkord, E

Abstract

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous noncoding RNA, which were previously considered as a byproduct of RNA splicing error. Numerous studies have demonstrated the altered expression of circRNAs in organ tissues during pathological conditions and their involvements in disease pathogenesis and progression, including cancers. In colorectal cancer (CRC), multiple circRNAs have been identified and characterized as "oncogenic", given their involvements in the downregulation of tumor suppressor genes and induction of tumor initiation, progression, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, other circRNAs have been identified in CRC and characterized as "tumor suppressive" based on their ability of inhibiting the expression of oncogenic genes and suppressing tumor growth and proliferation. circRNAs could serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and therapeutic targets or vectors to be utilized in cancer therapies. This review briefly describes the dynamic changes of the tumor microenvironment inducing immunosuppression and tumorigenesis, and outlines the biogenesis and characteristics of circRNAs and recent findings indicating their roles and functions in the CRC tumor microenvironment. It also discusses strategies and technologies, which could be employed in the future to overcome current cancer therapy challenges associated with circRNAs. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.]

Citation

Viralippurath Ashraf, J., Sasidharan Nair, V., Saleh, R., & Elkord, E. (2021). Role of circular RNAs in colorectal tumor microenvironment. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 137, 111351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111351

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 27, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Feb 5, 2021
• Publication Date: May 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Feb 23, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2021
• Journal: Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
• Print ISSN: 0753-3322
• Electronic ISSN: 1950-6007
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Volume: 137
• Pages: 111351
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111351
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111351
• Related Public URLs: http://www.elsevier.com/journals/biomedicine-and-pharmacotherapy/0753-3322
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ** From PubMed via Jisc Publications Router **Journal IDs: eissn 1950-6007 **Article IDs: pubmed: 33550046; pii: S0753-3322(21)00136-0 **History: accepted 27-01-2021; revised 26-01-2021; submitted 23-12-2020; Funders : Qatar National Library