CircNRIP1: An emerging star in multiple cancers

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) with a closed-loop structure that is highly stable and widely present in the eukaryotic cytoplasm. In recent years, circRNA has played a non-negligible role in the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases, which has attracted the research attention of many scholars. Circular RNA nuclear receptor interacting protein 1 (circNRIP1), a newly discovered circRNA, has been confirmed to be closely associated with cervical carcinoma (CC), colorectal cancer (CRC), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), gastric cancer (GC), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), osteosarcoma (OS), ovarian cancer (OC) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). CircNRIP1 can regulate the activity of ERK1/2, PI3K/AKT, and AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. In this review, the author summarizes the biological functions and target molecular mechanisms in carcinogenesis, to point out the potential clinical values and applications of circNRIP1 in diagnosing and treating cancer.