Mobius strip in pancreatic cancer: biogenesis, function and clinical significance of circular RNAs

• Published in: Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS Vol. 78; no. 17-18; pp. 6201 - 6213
• Main Authors: Zhao, Bangbo, Li, Zeru, Qin, Cheng, Li, Tianhao, Wang, Yuanyang, Cao, Hongtao, Yang, Xiaoying, Wang, Weibin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.09.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biosynthesis; Cancer; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal - genetics; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal - pathology; Cell Biology; Chemoresistance; Chemotherapy; Clinical significance; Digestive system; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - genetics; Exosomes - metabolism; Experimental methods; Humans; Invasiveness; Life Sciences; Metastases; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - antagonists & inhibitors; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; miRNA; Non-coding RNA; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - genetics; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Polypeptides; Review; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Circular - genetics; RNA, Circular - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA-binding protein; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Workflow; Circular RNA; Biomarker; Gemcitabine; Exosome; Pancreatic cancer
• ISSN: 1420-682X; 1420-9071
• DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03908-5

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a kind of common digestive system cancer with the worst prognosis for its insidious symptoms and high invasiveness. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed circular structure, which are more stable and conservative than linear RNAs and process major functions of microRNA (miRNA) sponge, RNA binding protein (RBP) sponge and polypeptide translation template. Incremental researches have proved that circRNAs express aberrantly and play a vital role in various types of cancer. Hence, we reviewed the biogenesis, degradation, characteristics, and biological functions of circRNAs and summarized the roles circRNAs played in the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, chemoresistance and exosome-mediated intercellular communication of PC. We then summed up a workflow regarding circRNA research in cancer and relative specific databases and experimental methods. In the future, more efforts ought to be put into circRNAs research in PC, including basic research of discovering and testifying circRNAs centered ceRNA networks, and clinical research of exploiting exosomal or circulating circRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker, chemotherapy sensitivity predictor and prognostic predictor.