Circular RNAs in gynecological disease: promising biomarkers and diagnostic targets.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a category of RNA molecules with covalently closed circles lacking both a 5' cap and a 3' tail. In recent years, circRNAs have attracted much attention and become a research hotspot of the RNA field following miRNAs and lncRNAs. CircRNAs exhibit tissue specificity, structural stability, and evolutionary conservation. Although the biological effects of circRNAs are still underestimated, many studies have shown that circRNAs have functions including regulation of transcription, translation into proteins and miRNA sponges. In this review, we briefly described the biogenesis and function of circRNAs and present circular transcripts in gynecological disease.