环状RNA在肺癌研究中的进展

Circular RNA in Lung Cancer Research: Biogenesis, Functions and Roles

肺癌(lung cancer)的发病率及死亡率在我国双居首位,近年来针对肿瘤驱动基因和免疫检查点的靶点治疗取得了振奋人心的成果。环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)是一类具有环形结构的RNA分子,研究发现其与肿瘤的分期、淋巴结转移等关系密切,在生理过程和疾病中具有特殊的生物学功能。其高度稳定性和特异性使之有望成为肿瘤潜在的预测和治疗靶点。目前环状RNA在肺癌中的生物学功能和调控机制仅有少量研究报道。本文对环状RNA的研究历史、生源机制、生物学功能以及其在肿瘤,尤其是肺癌研究中的进展作一综述,以期为环状RNA在肺癌中的研究提供理论依据和新的思路。

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in China. In recent years, therapies for oncogenedrivers and immune checkpoints have proved inspiring. Circular RNA（circRNA）, which is a kind of RNA with covalent ring structure relating to stages and metastasis of cancer, has many special biological functions in physiological processes, diseases and so on. Thus, circRNA is expected to be a potential biomarker for cancer prediction and treatment in view of its high conservation and tissue-specific. However, function analysis and regulatory mechanism of circRNA in lung cancer come so far remains unclear and limited literatures are available. In this review, we highlight the research history, formation mechanism, biological function of circRNA and research progress in cancer, especially in lung cancer. We mean to provide theoretical evidences and new ideas for researches on circRNAs in lung cancer.