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Review
. 2018 Dec 7:13:407-418.
doi: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.09.022. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Circular RNAs as Potential Theranostics in the Cardiovascular System

Yihua Bei  1 , Tingting Yang  1 , Lijun Wang  1 , Paul Holvoet  2 , Saumya Das  3 , Joost P G Sluijter  4 , Marta Chagas Monteiro  5 , Yang Liu  6 , Qiulian Zhou  1 , Junjie Xiao  7
Affiliations
Review

Circular RNAs as Potential Theranostics in the Cardiovascular System

Yihua Bei et al. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. .

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent the largest contributor to mortality worldwide. Identification of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for CVDs is urgently needed. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous, abundant, and stable non-coding RNAs formed by back-splicing events. Their role as regulators of gene expression has been increasingly reported. Notably, circRNAs mediate essential physiological and pathological processes in the cardiovascular system. Our first aim, therefore, is to summarize recent advances in the role of circRNAs in cardiac development as well as in pathogenesis of various CVDs. Because circRNAs are stable in circulation and their dynamic changes may reflect different disease stages, they are considered ideal biomarkers. Therefore, our second aim is to review studies that have identified circulating circRNAs as biomarkers for CVDs. Finally, we discuss the shortage of functional studies and the limitations of available clinical studies and provide future perspectives.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; biomarkers; cardiomyopathy; cardiovascular disease; circular RNA; endothelial dysfunction; fibrosis; heart failure; myocardial infarction; therapeutic targets.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Biological Functions of Circular RNAs (A) An overview of biological functions of microRNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and circular RNA (circRNA). (B) circRNAs could function as competing endogenous RNAs or microRNA sponges. (C) An example of circRNAs that could interact with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs): circ-FOXO3 could form ternary complex with the cell-cycle proteins cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (p21) and thus repress cell-cycle progression. (D) circRNAs could bind to RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and regulate the transcription of their host genes. (E) Some of the circRNAs have internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) and could be translated.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Circular RNAs in Cardiac Development
Figure 3
Figure 3
Circular RNAs and Their Targets in Cardiovascular Diseases
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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