环状RNA与疾病关系的研究进展

Advances in the study of circular RNA in human diseases

环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)是近年新发现的一类特殊的单链环状非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)分子,在生物体内分布广泛、种类繁多,具有一定的生物稳定性、时空特异性和进化保守性,可通过吸附miRNA或与蛋白质等分子相互作用发挥基因表达调控功能,还参与到外泌体行使功能过程,其表达异常可导致多种疾病。有关circRNA的研究日益增多,但归纳其与疾病关系的文章较为少见。本文就环状RNA及其与疾病的关系作一综述。

Circular RNA（circRNA）is a special type of non-coding RNA（ncRNA）that is single-stranded and looped.Various circRNAs are widely distributed in eukaryotes and are now considered to be the products of RNA splicing.circRNAs are relatively stable,they are expressed in a spatio-temporal-specific manner,and they are evolutionally conserved.Studies have reported that circRNAs can regulate gene expression by interacting with miRNAs or proteins.They are also associated with the functions of exosomes.Therefore,abnormal expression of circRNAs is associated with the development and progression of multiple diseases,such as cancers and disorders of the nervous system.An increasing number of studies have examined circRNAs,but few articles have described their association with disease.This review describes advances in the current study of circRNAs and their role in human disease.