The dark side of circular RNA, a new driver of genome instability

Ajit Kumar Sharma; Anish Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.07.013

The dark side of circular RNA, a new driver of genome instability

Cell Chem Biol. 2023 Aug 17;30(8):861-863. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.07.013.

Authors

Ajit Kumar Sharma¹, Anish Thomas²

Affiliations

¹ Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
² Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 37595549
DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.07.013

Abstract

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are covalently closed RNA molecules whose functions are still largely uncharacterized. In the July issue of Cancer Cell, Conn et al.¹ demonstrate that circRNA can bind cognate DNA loci, forming circRNA-DNA hybrids (circR loops), driving genetic rearrangements of MLL/KMT2A, which are associated with the most aggressive acute leukemias.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Genomic Instability
Humans
Leukemia*
RNA, Circular* / genetics

Substances

RNA, Circular