Roles of circular RNAs in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (Review)

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Roles of circular RNAs in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (Review) Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Nov;22(5):1221. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10655. Epub 2021 Aug 26. ABSTRACT Lower back pain (LBP) is an extremely common symptom and is recognized as a leading contributor to disability and disease burden globally. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) represents a major cause of LBP. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of IDD remain unclear, and currently available treatments, including conservative and surgical options, fail to effectively delay, stop or reverse the progression of IDD. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a newly discovered group of covalently closed, single-stranded and endogenous non-coding RNAs. A growing body of research has revealed that a number of circRNAs are widely and aberrantly expressed in IDD tissues. Furthermore, they play important roles in the pathogenesis of IDD, including proliferation, apoptosis, senescence, mitophagy, inflammation and extracellular matrix metabol ism, mainly by acting as sponges for microRNAs. The present review aims to summarize the current understanding on the mechanisms of circRNA-mediated regulation in IDD. PMID:34603518 | PMC:PMC8453328 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10655 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.