CircRNAs: Insights into Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is recorded as the fifth most common cancer globally. The classic resemblance of early symptoms of chronic gastritis including nausea, dysphagia, and dyspepsia with GC is the current challenge limiting the early diagnosis of GC. The current diagnostic procedures of GC are limited due to their invasive nature. This directs the research question toward alternative approaches, specifically at the molecular level. Recent advances in molecular regulation of cancer suggest the prominence of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the multistep process of tumourigenesis.

SUMMARY: CircRNAs are a class of non-coding RNAs, abundant in eukaryotes, with key roles in regulating genes and miRNAs as well as the alteration of processes involved in pathological conditions. Research studies have demonstrated the participation of circRNAs in the initiation and progression of tumours. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the potential of circRNAs as disease biomarkers for the early detection and treatment of GC.

KEY MESSAGES: This study is an amalgamation of the implications and future prospects of circRNAs for the detection and potential treatment of GC.