IJMS, Vol. 24, Pages 14545: The Glioblastoma CircularRNAome
International Journal of Molecular Sciences doi: 10.3390/ijms241914545
Authors: Alexandru Tirpe Cristian Streianu Stefana Maria Tirpe Anja Kocijancic Radu Pirlog Bianca Pirlog Constantin Busuioc Ovidiu-Laurean Pop Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
Glioblastoma remains one of the most aggressive cancers of the brain, warranting new methods for early diagnosis and more efficient treatment options. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are rather new entities with increased stability compared to their linear counterparts that interact with proteins and act as microRNA sponges, among other functions. Herein, we provide a critical overview of the recently described glioblastoma-related circRNAs in the literature, focusing on their roles on glioblastoma cancer cell proliferation, survival, migration, invasion and metastasis, metabolic reprogramming, and therapeutic resistance. The main roles of circRNAs in regulating cancer processes are due to their regulatory roles in essential oncogenic pathways, including MAPK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and Wnt, which are influenced by various circRNAs. The present work pictures the wide implication of circRNAs in glioblastoma, thus highlighting their potential as future biomarkers and therapeutic targets/agents.