Research progress of circular RNA and its research prospects in oral diseases

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are RNAs with a covalently closed loop structure, characterized by its conservation, stability, tissue specific and ubiquity. CircRNAs can serve as miRNA ‘sponges’ to modulate the mRNA targets of miRNAs. CircRNAs can bind with RNA binding proteins and regulate the expression of some genes. The differential expression of circRNAs between pathogenic and normal tissues makes circRNAs possibly promising biomarkers for diagnosis and targets for treatment. In this article, we reviewed the research progress of circRNA and discussed its research prospects in oral diseases.