The following is a summary of “Role of circular RNAs in pulmonary hypertension” published in the December 2022 issue of Respiratory by Ali et al.
Circular Ribonucleic acid (RNAs), also known as circRNAs, are non-protein-coding RNAs that are endogenous and covalently circularized. They are created through back-splicing. The vast majority of circRNAs are extremely stable, highly conserved, and expressed in a manner that is particular to tissues, cells, and stages of development. By sponging off microRNAs and connecting with RNA-binding proteins, circRNAs can play a vital part in a variety of different biological processes.
One example of this is the regulation of gene expression and protein translation. Due to the intimate connection that circRNAs have with the onset of various diseases, they have emerged as a subject of significant interest in the field of study. Because of their exceptional stability, capacity to conserve themselves in physiological fluids, and abundance in those fluids, they are prospective biomarkers for various disorders. A growing body of evidence suggests that aberrant expression of circRNAs and their targets plays a crucial role in pulmonary vascular remodeling and pulmonary arterial hypertension (group 1), in addition to other forms (groups 3 and 4) of pulmonary hypertension (PH).
These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that circRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). In this article, researchers will examine the roles that circRNAs play and the molecular mechanisms that underlie their contributions to the pathogenesis of pulmonary vascular remodelling and PH. Additionally, investigators highlight the potential of circRNAs in PH as both a therapeutic and biomarker tool.