Table 2.
Mechanisms of action of circRNAs in human cancers.
| CircRNA | Cancer type | Role | Mechanism of Action | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| circHIPK3 | Lung cancer | Activates PI3K/AKT signaling pathway | Sponging miR-188-3p | [224] |
| circTP63 | Lung cancer | Facilitates cell-cycle progression | Competitive binding to miR-873-3p | [225] |
| circFGFR1 | Lung cancer | Upregulates CXCR4, anti-PD-1 resistance | Sponging miR-381-3p | [203] |
| circFOXM1 | Lung cancer | Suppresses FAM83D | Sponging miR-614 | [226] |
| circFARSA | Lung cancer | Upregulates B7-H3 | Sponging miR-15a-5p | [227] |
| circXPO1 | Lung cancer | Promotes metastasis | Binding to IGF2BP1 and stabilizing CTNNB1 | [110] |
| circNDUFB2 | Lung cancer | Acts as a tumor suppressor and favors antitumor immunity | Forming complexes with TRIM25 and IGF2BPs for IGF2BPs ubiquitination | [118] |
| circNSUN2 | Colorectal cancer | Promotes malignant tumor progression | Binding to IGF2BP1 and stabilizing HMGA2 mRNA | [89] |
| circPPP1R12A | Colon cancer | Promotes cell proliferation and metastasis | Encoding circPPP1R12A-73aa and regulates the Hippo-YAP signaling | [128] |
| circYAP | Breast cancer | Inhibits YAP translation | Binding p53 and MDM2 | [228] |
| circDNMT1 | Breast cancer | Induces autophagy | Nuclear translocating AUF1, p53 | [210] |
| circFOXO3 | Breast cancer | Promotes PUMA expression and apoptosis | Facilitating p53 ubiquitination | [229] |
| circSKA3 | Breast cancer | Promotes cell invasion | Interacting with Tks5 and integrin β1 | [230] |
| circWWC3 | Breast cancer | Promotes EMT, upregulates EGFR, MAPK1 | Sponging miR-26b-3p, miR-660-3p | [231] |
| circTADA2A | Breast cancer | Suppresses migration and invasion | Sponging miR-203a-3p | [232] |
| circFECR1 | Breast cancer | Promotes metastasis | Activating FL1 parental gene | [98] |
| circNRIP1 | Gastric cancer | Activates AKT1/mTOR pathway | Sponging miR-149-5p | [233] |
| circSERPINE2 | Gastric cancer | Activates BCL2 signaling pathway | Sponging miR-375 | [234] |
| circDONSON | Gastric cancer | Promotes cell migration via SOX4 | Binding BURF complex | [235] |
| circDLST | Gastric cancer | Activates NRAS/MEK/ERK1/2 pathway | Sponging miR-502-5p | [236] |
| circLMTK2 | Gastric cancer | Acts as a tumor suppressor | Sponging miR-150-5p | [237] |
| circMAPK1 | Gastric cancer | Acts as a tumor suppressor | Encoding MAPK1-109aa which suppresses MAPK signaling | [238] |
| circDLDG1 | Gastric cancer | Promotes EMT, metastasis and anti-PD-1 resistance | Regulating CXCL12 by sponging miR-141-3p | [204] |
| circARHGAP35 | Hepatocellular carcinoma | Promotes tumor progression, invasion and metastasis | Encoding circARHGAP35 protein which interacts with the transcription factor TFII-I | [71] |
| circNT5E | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Upregulates NT5E, SOX4 and PIK3CA | Sponging miR-422a | [239] |
| circNFIX | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Activates Notch signaling | Sponging miR-34a-5p | [240] |
| circTTBK2 | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Upregulates EZH2 | Binding miR-217/HNF1β/Derlin-1 | [241] |
| circCFH | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Regulates the AKT signaling | Sponging miR-149 | [242] |
| circSMARCA5 | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Acts as a competitive endogenous RNA | Binding SRSF1/SRSF3 | [243] |
| circE-cad | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Maintains cancer stemness | Encoding C-E-Cad- 254aa that interacts with EGFR and activates STAT3 signaling | [129] |
| circFBXW7 | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Inhibits the effects on cell cycle | Encoding FBXW7-185aa which causes reduction of c-Myc half life | [127] |
| circSHPRH | Glioma/Gliobastoma | Acts as a tumor suppressor | Encoding SHPRH-146aa | [126] |
| circPAN3 | Acute myeloid leukemia | Mediates drug resistance via AMPK/mTOR | Via miR-153-5p/miR-183-5p-XIAP axis | [244] |
| circDLEU2 | Acute myeloid leukemia | Promotes PRKACB expression | Suppressing of miR-496 | [245] |
| circPVT1 | Acute myeloid leukemia | Regulates cells proliferation, migration and apoptosis | Stabilizing c-MYC and CXCR4 expression | [246] |
| circHIPK2 | Acute myeloid leukemia | ATRA-induces differentiation | Via miR-124-3p/CEBPA | [247] |
| circRNF220 | Acute myeloid leukemia | Increases cell migration, invasion | Sponging miR-30a | [248] |
| circHIPK3 | Chronic myelocytic leukemia | Increases cell proliferation and invasion | Sponging miR-124, miR-506 | [249] |
| circBA9.3 | Chronic myelocytic leukemia | Promotes cancer cell survival | Upregulating c-ABL or BCR-ABL1 | [250] |
| circITCH | Multiple myeloma | Acts as a tumor suppressor | Regulating miR-615-3p/PRKCD axis | [249] |
| circIARS | Pancreatic cancer | Promotes metastasis via exosomes | Downregulating miR-122 | [251] |
| circPDE8A | Pancreatic cancer | Promotes tumor invasion | Via miR-338/MACC1/MET axis | [252] |
| circHIPK3 | Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma | Regulates cell growth | Sponging miR-124 | [106] |
| circITCH | Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma | Acts as a tumor suppressor | Sponging miR-7, miR-17, miR-214, etc | [107] |
| circPABPN1 | Cervical carcinoma | Regulates translation of parental gene PABPN1 | Binding RBP HUR | [116] |