Epstein Barr Virus-Encoded MicroRNAs’ and CircularRNAs’ Relation with Epstein Barr Virus-Associated Gastric Cancer

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a herpes virus linked to various cancers, including EBV-associated gastric cancer (EBV-aGC). EBV is the first that was identified to produce several kinds of non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) including micro RNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). In EBV-aGC, EBV encodes several miRNAs that play crucial roles in altering the host’s gene expression to promote tumorigenesis. EBV miRNAs can suppress host immune responses and regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis, aiding cancer progression. circRNAs often dysregulated in EBV-aGC, interact with EBV miRNAs by acting as sponges, which modulate the availability of miRNAs to their targets. This interplay between EBV miRNAs and circRNAs contributes to the complexity of underlying mechanisms of EBV-aGC development and progression.