Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are recently discovered as a special novel type of endogenous noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), which form a covalently closed continuous loop and are highly represented in the eukaryotic transcriptome. Recent research revealed that circRNAs can function as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, regulators of splicing and transcription, as well as interact with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). In this review, not only the function and mechanism, but also the experimental methods of circRNA are summarized. The summary of the current state of circRNA will help us in the discovery of novel biomarkers, the therapeutic targets and their potential significance in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. CircRNAs might play important roles in cancers especially in hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric carcinoma and colorectal cancer as well as serving as diagnostic or predictive biomarkers of some diseases and providing new treatments of diseases.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the primary cause of cancer-related death worldwide; however, specific and sensitive tools for the early diagnosis and targeted therapy of CRC are currently lacking. High-throughput sequencing technology revealed that gene expression of long-chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in a number of cancers directly or indirectly interferes with various biological processes. Emerging evidence suggests that lncRNAs regulate target genes and play an important role in the biological processes of malignancies, including CRC. Many carcinostatic/oncogenic lncRNAs have been identified as biomarkers for metastasis and prognosis in CRC; hence, they serve as therapeutic tools. In this article, we systematically review the literature on the disordered lncRNAs in CRC from four aspects: DNA transcription, RNA level regulation, post-translational level, and the translation of lncRNAs into polypeptides. Subsequently, we analyze the mechanism through which lncRNAs participate in the biological process of CRC. Finally, we discuss the application and prospects of these lncRNAs in CRC.
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