Circular RNA-Encoded Proteins in Disease Pathogenesis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are structurally stable and covalently-linked ring RNA molecules. Due to backsplicing, they are directly joined by phosphodiester linkage, which confers much greater stability relative to their linear mRNA counterparts. Recent studies indicate that circRNAs also encode proteins involved in mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases, offering new treatment insights. This review briefly summarizes the history, characteristics, and functions of circRNAs; the formation and translation mechanisms of circRNA-encoded proteins; and computational and experimental techniques for identifying/predicting the protein-encoding potential of circRNAs. We also summarized their role in disease pathogenesis, which includes how they could be targeted and harnessed as novel therapeutic options for disease treatment. Finally, we stated some current limitations to studies on circRNA-encoded proteins and concluded with a discussion of future research directions to facilitate effective clinical translation.