Role of circRNAs in regulating cell death in cancer: a comprehensive review

Despite multiple diagnostic and therapeutic advances, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, cancer preserved its spot as a global health concern. Prompt cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis depend on the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are considered as a stable, conserved, abundant, and varied group of RNA molecules that perform multiple roles such as gene regulation. There is evidence that circRNAs interact with RNA-binding proteins, especially capturing miRNAs. An extensive amount of research has presented the substantial contribution of circRNAs in various types of cancer. To fully understand the linkage between circRNAs and cancer growth as a consequence of various cell death processes, including autophagy, ferroptosis, and apoptosis, more research is necessary. The expression of circRNAs could be controlled to limit the occurrence and growth of cancer, providing a more encouraging method of cancer treatment. Consequently, it is critical to understand how circRNAs affect various forms of cancer cell death and evaluate whether circRNAs could be used as targets to induce tumor death and increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. The current study aims to review and comprehend the effects that circular RNAs exert on cell apoptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis in cancer to investigate potential cancer treatment targets.