circRNA的功能及其与胃癌关系的研究进展

Research progress on circRNA function and its relationship with gastric cancer

目的进一步了解环状RNA (circular RNA, circRNA)的功能并探讨其与胃癌发生、发展的关系以及其对胃癌诊断及预后评估的价值。方法对近年来发表的有关circRNA的功能及其与胃癌相关关系研究的文献进行综述并进行总结分析。结果circRNA的闭合环状结构特点使其具有酶稳定性。目前研究中较为清楚的功能是它作为微小RNA(miRNA)海绵,它通过与相应位点结合调控基因转录,甚至能够作为翻译模版参与蛋白质的翻译。它通过miRNA海绵作用于被miRNA调控的靶基因从而调控参与胃癌发生及发展相关的生物信号通路以调控胃癌细胞的生长。circRNA在胃癌组织及其癌旁组织以及患者和健康人群的血清中均存在差异性表达,其与胃癌的临床特征(病理分期、淋巴结转移、远处转移、CEA、CA19-9等)和胃癌患者较差的预后及更短的术后生存时间有关。结论由于circRNA的闭环结构特点,使得它具备酶稳定性并可发挥出miRNA海绵为主的多种生物功能。通过circRNA在胃癌中差异性表达的研究分析有望在胃癌的诊断及预后评估中发挥重要的作用。

Objective To further understand function of circular RNA(circRNA) and explore its relationship with occurrence and development of gastric cancer and its value in diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer.Method The published literatures on the circRNA function and its relationship with gastric cancer were reviewed and summarized. Results The closed loop structure of circRNA made it was enzymatically stable. At present, it was clear that the circRNA acted as a microRNA(miRNA) sponge and regulated the gene transcription by binding with the corresponding sites, even could be as a translation template to participate in the protein translation. Further the circRNA could act on the target gene regulated by the miRNA through the miRNA sponge. The biosignal pathway involved in the development of gastric cancer regulated by the growth of gastric cancer cells. The circRNA was differentially expressed in the gastric cancer tissue and its adjacent tissue as well as in the serums of patient and healthy human, which had the close relationships with the clinical features(pathological staging, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, CEA, CA19-9, etc.)and the poor prognosis and shorter postoperative survival time of patients with gastric cancer. Conclusions Due to structural characteristics of circRNA closed loop, it has an enzyme stability and can play a variety of biological functions based on miRNA sponge. Differential expression of circRNA in gastric cancer is expected to play an important role in diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of gastric cancer.