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Review

circRNA: a promising all-around star in the future

    Hanlin Li

    *Author for correspondence:

    E-mail Address: hanlinli@tmu.edu.cn

    Tianjin Institute of Urology, the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China

    Search for more papers by this author

    Published Online:14 Aug 2023https://doi.org/10.2217/epi-2023-0141

    Abstract

    circRNA is a type of RNA molecule with a circular structure. From initially thinking it was useless to now discovering that it has important and complex functions, the importance of circRNA is increasingly being recognized. circRNA was first discovered as an ncRNA with a molecular sponge function. Clinically, due to its special molecular structure, researchers are generally interested in its potential as a biomarker. Recently, circRNA has been proven to have many functions other than encoding proteins. In the clinical setting, circRNA also has strong potential for application in vaccine preparation and targeted therapy. This article discusses the synthesis of circRNA, introduces its functions and discusses its future development prospects.

    Tweetable abstract

    #circRNA##Review# This article describes the research and development process of circRNA. It explores circRNA's mechanism and provides a prospect for its future development. Further research on this molecule is of great significance.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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