Functions of circular RNAs and their potential applications in gastric cancer (Review)

As the fifth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, gastric cancer (GC) poses a potential threat to human health. However, there is still a lack of effective means for the early screening and treatment of GC, and therefore, GC remains a difficult disease to overcome. With the continuous in-depth research on circular RNAs (circRNAs), an increasing body of evidence indicates that circRNAs play an important role in a wide variety of diseases, particularly cancer. Proliferation, invasion and metastatic spread of cancer cells are strongly associated with abnormal circRNA expression. Hence, circRNAs are considered a candidate biomarker for GC diagnosis and prognosis, and a target for cancer treatment. The focus has been on the association of GC with circRNAs, thus it is necessary to briefly review and summarize the relevant research to provide the research findings across the area to researchers, and to indicate the direction for future research. The present review provides an overview on the biogenesis and functions of circRNAs in GC, predicting their possible clinical application as ideal biomarkers and potential targets of treatment in GC.