CircRNA in Digestive Diseases: Recent Advances in Fundamental Mechanism and Clinical Potential

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs characterized by their closed-loop structure, are widely present in the body and exhibit greater stability compared to conventional linear RNAs. With the development of molecular biology, circRNAs are gradually considered as a prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for various diseases. Research on the mechanism of circRNA in various diseases has become an important direction. In addition, digestive diseases are becoming more common as people's eating habits change, and the incidence and mortality of severe digestive system tumors are increasing year by year. The study of circRNA in digestive diseases provides us with a new way to improve the diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases. This article provides a comprehensive review of the research literature on circRNAs in digestive system diseases over the past five years (2019- 2023) and covers aspects such as circRNA functions and underlying mechanisms. CircRNA has been implicated in a variety of digestive diseases. In these diseases, circRNA primarily acts as a microRNA (miRNA) sponge, interacting with miRNA to regulate the expression levels of genes associated with signaling pathways, and there is abundant research on the effects of circRNAs on drug resistance, cell proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and poor prognosis. This article aima to discuss the current status of research on circular RNA and its key areas in digestive system diseases. The review aims to provide valuable insights for further research on the role of circular RNA in digestive system diseases and a reference for subsequent research.