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REVIEW article

Front. Cell. Neurosci.
Sec. Cellular Neuropathology
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1470641
This article is part of the Research Topic Emerging Mechanisms in Neuroinflammation: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Neurodegenerative Diseases View all 4 articles

The clinical perspective of circular RNAs in neurodegenerative diseases: potential diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets

Provisionally accepted
Junhui Wang Junhui Wang 1*Xin'ai Li Xin'ai Li 2Peng Wang Peng Wang 3Shuo Qi Shuo Qi 4Jingwei Zhou Jingwei Zhou 2Zhiguo Ding Zhiguo Ding 2
  • 1 Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
  • 2 Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
  • 3 Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
  • 4 Sun Simiao Hospital, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Tongchuan, Shanxi, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) mostly occur in older demographics. With the average lifespan increasing over time, NDDs are becoming one of the major adverse factors affecting human health and the quality of life. Currently, there are no specific diagnostic methods for NDDs and they are usually diagnosed based on nonspecific clinical symptoms and occasionally by biomarkers, such as β-amyloid (Aβ) for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and a-synuclein (α-syn) for Parkinson’s disease, etc. However, it is usually too late for most treatment to startr when the aforementioned criteria become detectable. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of single-stranded, covalently closed, non-coding RNAs that lack a 5' cap structure and 3' terminal poly-A tail. According to recent research, circRNAs may play a crucial role for the onset and progression of some NDDs. These small RNAs may be potential diagnostic and prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for these diseases. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements of knowledge on the functions and the possible underlying mechanism of circRNAs in the pathogenesis and treatment of NDDs.

    Keywords: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), circRNA, biomarkers, diagnosis, Treatment

    Received: 25 Jul 2024; Accepted: 31 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Li, Wang, Qi, Zhou and Ding. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Junhui Wang, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.