Cellular senescence: A potential mode of circular RNAs regulating prostate cancer

Abstract

Cellular senescence is a state characterized by permanent cell cycle stoppage, which has long been viewed as a protective mechanism against neoplasia. However, accumulating evidence reveal that cellular senescence variously stimulates tumorigenesis and malignant progression in certain contexts. Senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is a crucial feature of senescent cells and the main way they function. Prostate cancer (PCa) is apparently an age-related tumor with a high prevalence in the elderly. With the aggravation of population aging the morbidity of PCa continues to rise. And with the progress of the disease, most patients eventually develop castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) or drug resistance, which poses a challenge for the treatment of PCa and aggravates the burden on patients and society. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous noncoding RNAs formed by back-splicing of pre-mRNAs. Characterized by special covalently closed circular structure, they play important regulatory roles in various tumors. Numerous studies have revealed that circRNAs can regulate PCa and cellular senescence in diverse ways. This review explores a potential mode that circRNAs regulate PCa, reveales a significant mechanism of tumorigenesis and progression for PCa, suggesting a new strategy for PCa research.