Circular RNAs (circRNA) have gained recent interest due to their functional versatility due to their interactions with other RNA species and proteins, all of which underline complex regulatory networks involved in pathogenic mechanisms. As a result, recent insights in circRNA biology are investigating their biomarker and therapeutic potential. One such circRNA is CircFOXO3, which consists of the circularized second exon of the FOXO3 mRNA, a member of the forkhead box transcription factor family involved in the regulation of developmental programs. Recent research focused on the role of circFOXO3 in the context of cancer has highlighted several implications in key tumorigenesis mechanisms, thus consolidating its relevance among other identified circRNAs. In this paper, we will focus on the currently identified case-specific implications of circFOXO3 in cancer, with a focus on the circFOXO3-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks, its interactions with different proteins, and their cumulated biological effects upon tumor development. Therefore, we aim to provide an integrated perspective of the mechanistic implications of circFOXO3 in different cancers while also highlighting its biomarker or therapeutic potential based on the current evidence.

Centiv DE Bremen Germany

Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic; Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute Brno Czech Republic

Research Center for Functional Genomics Biomedicine and Translational Medicine Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca Romania

Research Center for Functional Genomics Biomedicine and Translational Medicine Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca Romania; Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology Prof Dr Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute Cluj Napoca Romania

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