Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous, covalently circularised, non-protein-coding RNAs generated from back-splicing. Most circRNAs are very stable, highly conserved, and expressed in a tissue-, cell- and developmental stage-specific manner. circRNAs play a significant role in various biological processes, such as regulation of gene expression and protein translation via sponging of microRNAs and binding with RNA-binding proteins. circRNAs have become a topic of great interest in research due to their close link with the development of various diseases. Their high stability, conservation and abundance in body fluids make them promising biomarkers for many diseases. A growing body of evidence suggests that aberrant expression of circRNAs and their targets plays a crucial role in pulmonary vascular remodelling and pulmonary arterial hypertension (group 1) as well as other forms (groups 3 and 4) of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Here we discuss the roles and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of pulmonary vascular remodelling and PH. We also highlight the therapeutic and biomarker potential of circRNAs in PH.
Abstract
This review evaluates the role and molecular mechanisms of circular RNAs in pulmonary hypertension with a view to research opportunities, clinical study and therapeutic potential https://bit.ly/3MTHrdd
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Support statement: This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL128734), Dept of Defense (PR161256) and Vera Moulton Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Diseases. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.
- Received January 4, 2022.
- Accepted May 18, 2022.
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