The emerging role of circular RNAs in spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe condition with limited effective treatments, leading to neurological impairments and a significant socioeconomic burden. Recent research indicates that circRNAs are abundant in neural tissues and influence neuronal functions. Following SCI, circRNA expression patterns change significantly, suggesting their involvement in the condition's pathophysiology. This review explores circRNAs' characteristics and regulatory roles in SCI to improve understanding of the disease and promote circRNA-based therapies. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of non-coding RNA that form closed-loop structures. They are highly abundant, stable, and tissue-specific in the central nervous system (CNS).

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  Dysregulated circRNAs after SCI are enriched in neuronal signal transduction and inflammatory response.
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  Circ-HIPK3 can sponge miR-558 to attenuate neuronal cells apoptosis after SCI.
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  CircAnks1a, a spinal cord-specific circRNA, contributes to neuropathic pain by regulating VEGFB expression via sponging miR-324-3p.