The circular RNA HIPK3 (circHIPK3) and its regulation in cancer progression: Review

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of covalently closed continuous loops of single-stranded RNA molecules, and broadly expressed in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. CircRNAs have attracted considerable research attention in recent years, an attention primarily attributed to their critical roles in the development and progression of diseases, especially in cancers. The circRNA homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 3 (circHIPK3) is a recently identified circRNA, acknowledged to be relevant to human pathology and cancer progression. Here, we summarize the origin and functions of the circHIPK3 and its target molecules in cancer, and thus, providing a broader knowledge to our current understanding of circRNAs. This review will therefore be essential to enriching our knowledge on the roles of circRNAs in cancers by outlining their potential values and application in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.