Circular RNA Emerges as a Potential Game Changer in Managing Cancer Treatment Toxicities

Circular RNA is emerging as a new option for dramatically improving the management of treatment toxicities, one of the biggest challenges in cancer care.

According to a recent review published on the 6th in the international journal Genes & Diseases, circular RNAs (circRNAs) are drawing attention as key factors regulating cancer treatment toxicities. Adverse effects of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy have been considered major causes of long-term declines in quality of life, despite improved survival among patients with cancer.

Circular RNAs are unique RNA molecules with stable, closed-loop structures. They act as key regulators of toxicity pathways induced by cancer treatment, including oxidative stress, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage.

In particular, circular RNAs appear to act as a double-edged sword in various organs, causing cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Some circular RNAs promote inflammation and oxidative imbalance, amplifying cellular damage, whereas others stabilize cellular homeostasis and show protective effects that reduce tissue injury.

These characteristics give circular RNAs significant potential as biomarkers for the early detection of toxicity. Because they are highly stable in blood and other samples and are expressed in a tissue-specific manner, they could be used to monitor patient responses before adverse effects become severe.

Therapeutic strategies that directly target circular RNAs to minimize adverse effects are also being developed. This approach could open a new path to reducing toxicity without compromising treatment efficacy. It is also expected to contribute to the management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that occur during treatment with newer immuno-oncology drugs.

The researchers said, "Challenges including detection sensitivity, standardization and functional validation remain to be addressed for the clinical application of circular RNAs," but added, "As understanding of circular RNAs deepens, they could usher in an era of safer and more effective cancer treatment."