Decoding the functional roles of circular RNAs linked to NF-κB pathway in carcinogenesis

CircRNAs, a class of covalently closed noncoding RNAs, have emerged as pivotal regulators of the NF-κB signaling pathway in carcinogenesis. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the circRNA/NF-κB axis regulates key cancer-related processes, such as proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and immune escape. These regulatory effects are mediated by circRNAs' functional mechanisms-including miRNA sponging, direct protein interactions, and translation into functional peptides-which converge on modulating NF-κB pathway activity. Expression levels of NF-κB-associated circRNAs correlate with clinicopathological features such as tumor stage, metastasis, and patient survival. Furthermore, these circRNAs hold promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and as novel targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we summarize recent advances in elucidating the mechanisms and clinical relevance of NF-κB-linked circRNAs across diverse cancer types.