Regulatory Functions and Mechanisms of Circular RNAs in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis

Nokkeaw, Archittapon; Thamjamrassri, Pannathon; Tangkijvanich, Pisit; Ariyachet, Chaiyaboot

doi:10.3390/cells12030378

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Regulatory Functions and Mechanisms of Circular RNAs in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis

by

Archittapon Nokkeaw

^1,2,3,†,

Pannathon Thamjamrassri

^1,2,3,†,

Pisit Tangkijvanich

^1,2,*

and

Chaiyaboot Ariyachet

^1,2,*

¹

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

²

Center of Excellence in Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

³

Medical Biochemistry Program, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Cells 2023, 12(3), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12030378

Submission received: 9 December 2022 / Revised: 6 January 2023 / Accepted: 9 January 2023 / Published: 19 January 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Pathogenesis of Hepatic Fibrosis III)

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Abstract

Chronic liver injury induces the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) into myofibroblasts, which produce excessive amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM), resulting in tissue fibrosis. If the injury persists, these fibrous scars could be permanent and disrupt liver architecture and function. Currently, effective anti-fibrotic therapies are lacking; hence, understanding molecular mechanisms that control HSC activation could hold a key to the development of new treatments. Recently, emerging studies have revealed roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs that was initially assumed to be the result of splicing errors, as new regulators in HSC activation. These circRNAs can modulate the activity of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their interacting protein partners involved in regulating fibrogenic signaling cascades. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge of this class of non-coding RNAs for their molecular function in HSC activation and liver fibrosis progression.

Keywords: non-coding RNA; circular RNA; microRNA; hepatic stellate cells; liver fibrosis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Nokkeaw, A.; Thamjamrassri, P.; Tangkijvanich, P.; Ariyachet, C. Regulatory Functions and Mechanisms of Circular RNAs in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis. Cells 2023, 12, 378. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12030378

AMA Style

Nokkeaw A, Thamjamrassri P, Tangkijvanich P, Ariyachet C. Regulatory Functions and Mechanisms of Circular RNAs in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis. Cells. 2023; 12(3):378. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12030378

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nokkeaw, Archittapon, Pannathon Thamjamrassri, Pisit Tangkijvanich, and Chaiyaboot Ariyachet. 2023. "Regulatory Functions and Mechanisms of Circular RNAs in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis" Cells 12, no. 3: 378. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12030378

APA Style

Nokkeaw, A., Thamjamrassri, P., Tangkijvanich, P., & Ariyachet, C. (2023). Regulatory Functions and Mechanisms of Circular RNAs in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis. Cells, 12(3), 378. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12030378

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Regulatory Functions and Mechanisms of Circular RNAs in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis

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