Xie LF, Liu SY, Dang XW. Recent advances of circular RNAs in gastrointestinal cancer. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(10): 111115 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i10.111115]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xiao-Wei Dang, PhD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe East Road, Erqi District, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China. dangxw1001@zzu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Oncol. Oct 24, 2025; 16(10): 111115 Published online Oct 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i10.111115
Recent advances of circular RNAs in gastrointestinal cancer
Long-Fei Xie, Sheng-Yan Liu, Xiao-Wei Dang
Long-Fei Xie, Sheng-Yan Liu, Xiao-Wei Dang, Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Long-Fei Xie, Sheng-Yan Liu, Xiao-Wei Dang, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in General Surgical (Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic) Diseases of Health Commission of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Long-Fei Xie, Sheng-Yan Liu, Xiao-Wei Dang, Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Minimally Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Long-Fei Xie, Sheng-Yan Liu, Xiao-Wei Dang, Budd-Chiari Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Author contributions: Xie LF designed the study and wrote the original manuscript. Liu SY conducted the literature collection and analysis; Dang XW critically reviewed the manuscript and provided theoretical guidance for this review; All authors have read and approved the manuscript.
Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province, China, No. 232300420232; and Henan Provincial Key Research and Development Project, No. 231111313500.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiao-Wei Dang, PhD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe East Road, Erqi District, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China. dangxw1001@zzu.edu.cn
Received: June 24, 2025 Revised: July 24, 2025 Accepted: September 11, 2025 Published online: October 24, 2025 Processing time: 122 Days and 24 Hours
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs, which do not encode proteins, significantly influence signal regulation. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), produced through a post-splicing mechanism, constitute a recently identified subset of non-coding RNAs distinguished by their multifunctional covalently closed loop structures. With an in-depth exploration of circRNAs' biological characteristics, their potential roles in gastrointestinal cancer have garnered significant attention. CircRNAs can significantly influence tumor initiation and progression. This review consolidates recent research progress on circRNAs in digestive system cancers such as esophageal, gastric, hepatic, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer. We explore the potential of circRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets, alongside their roles in immune modulation and chemoresistance. This review seeks to offer a thorough understanding of circRNAs' implications in digestive system tumors by outlining the current research landscape and identifying existing challenges, thereby encouraging further exploration in this emerging field.
Core Tip: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represents a distinct class of non-coding RNAs characterized by a closed circular conformation, wherein the terminal ends are covalently bonded, resulting in a unique structure devoid of 5' cap and 3' poly(A) tail. This structural feature imparts enhanced stability to circRNAs compared to linear RNAs. CircRNAs are implicated in a myriad of physiological processes, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and immune responses. This review delineates the recent advancements in circRNAs research concerning digestive system tumors, emphasizing their pronounced influence not only on the regulation of gene expression but also on the mechanisms of chemoresistance, immune modulation and treatment.
